Mumbai, March 7 -- The key equity benchmarks ended sideways on Friday as market sentiment remained cautious, with concerns over US tariffs and fluctuating trade policies unsettling global financial markets. The Nifty ended above the 22,550 mark. Media, oil & gas, and metal shares advanced while realty, consumer durables, and IT shares declined.

As per provisional closing, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, shed 7.51 points, or 0.01%, to 74,332.58. The Nifty 50 index rose 7.80 points, or 0.03%, to 22,552.50.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.30% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.75%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,507 shares rose and 1,476 shares fell. A total of 131 shares were unchanged...