The equity benchmarks ended with modest gains on Thursday. Traders remained cautious with important economic data releases coming up this week. These include India's Q3 GDP, expected to show moderate growth, the US PCE price index, which can influence the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, and China's PMI, a key indicator of its manufacturing sector health. The Nifty closed above the 21,950 mark after initially dipping to 21,860.65 during morning trade. Market volatility was notable due to the expiry of the February F&O series today. Banking and metal shares saw increased demand, while media, healthcare, and IT stocks faced selling pressure.