The markets have been on a positive uptrend for the past few months with the benchmark Nifty crossing the 14,600 mark earlier this month. But the past week has seen the Indian markets take a pause. After seven weeks of gains, Nifty ended just 0.5 percent higher this week and has been consolidating at the 14,500 level. While the movement in the markets has been quite volatile, the outlook for the week ahead remains positive. This week will see key economic news come in from the USA and the European Union which is expected to drive volatility in the global markets. In India, investors will be keeping an eye on the government’s moves toward the next Union Budget and the monetary policy decision by the Reserve Bank of India. Markets are also expected to track the pandemic situation and the impact it is having on businesses and consumer sentiment. The overall consensus from analysts is that the markets will continue to see positive movements this week. They anticipate that the uptrend will resume with Nifty hitting a new lifetime high. The outlook is further bolstered by large-scale foreign fund flows into the Indian markets. While they remain cautious, analysts believe that any short-term sell-off should be taken as an opportunity to build long-term portfolios. Technical analysts believe that while the consolidation phase this week has seen the Nifty hovering at the 14,500 mark, investors should keep a close watch on the 14,300 and 14,600 levels to chart a strategy. These levels are expected to act as strong supports or resistances for the Nifty over the next few weeks. Overall, for the week ahead, investors should be prepared for a volatile session. It is expected to be a mix of positive and negative news from the various markets. However, analysts believe that the underlying trend of the markets in the medium-term should remain positive. While investors should stay vigilant, they may also pick select stocks or sectors for long-term investments.