Mumbai, Feb. 18 -- The domestic equity benchmarks closed marginally lower Tuesday, with the Nifty settling below 22,950 amid mixed global signals. Midcap and smallcap weakness initially drove the Nifty down to 22,801.50, but a mid-session recovery limited losses. IT and energy sectors outperformed, while FMCG and auto sectors declined. Market sentiment remained subdued, with continued FII selling and limited positive catalysts. Investors were also keenly awaiting the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes on February 19.

The S&P BSE Sensex slipped 29.47 points or 0.04% to 75,967.39. The Nifty 50 index declined 14.20 points or 0.06% to 22,945.30.

Tech Mahindra (up 2.38%), Infosys (up 0.48%) and HDFC Bank (up 0.31%) s...