The Indian stock market extended gains on Friday, although Middle East uncertainties capped gains for the benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty which closed only marginally higher. Sensex gained over 3 points to close at around 77,541 while Nifty 50 rose 20 points to end the session at 24,252.

Analyst Sudeep Shah, Vice President and Head of Technical & Derivatives Research at SBI Securities, interacted with ETMarkets regarding the outlook for the Nifty IT, options data as well as an index strategy for the upcoming week. ) Sensex, Nifty have fallen in 4 out of 5 sessions.

What does next week's set up look like? Since the beginning of August, the benchmark index Nifty has been gradually drifting lower.

After marking a low of 24,025, the index witnessed a minor pullback; however, it ended lower for the second consecutive week. On the weekly chart, the index has formed a small-bodied candle with a minor lower shadow, reflecting a lack of strong directional conviction.

An interesting pattern has emerged during August. The index has largely witnessed momentum during the first hour of trading, only to slip into consolidation there after.

The repeated formation of small-bodied candles further highlights the absence of strong commitment from both bulls and bears. The question now is: who will make the first decisive move?

Technically, the index is currently oscillating around its crucial moving averages, which are largely flat. Momentum indicators and oscillators are also pointing towards a sideways phase.

80 and continues to remain flat. And when the trend indicators go quiet, the next signal often becomes even more important.

Going ahead, the 24,350-24,400 zone will act as a crucial hurdle for the index. On the downside, 24,050-24,000 will remain an important support zone.

A decisive move beyond this range could determine whether Nifty is ready for its next big move or another round of consolidation awaits. Sensex: The benchmark index registered a recent high of 79,143 on August 04, following which it entered a phase of gradual correction.

However, on Wednesday, the index found support near the lower trendline of its rising channel and witnessed a mild pullback. 60%, while forming a small-bodied candle with a lower shadow.

From a technical standpoint, the index continues to hover around its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day EMAs. The flattening of these key moving averages suggests a lack of directional bias and points towards a consolidative market structure.