Mumbai, Feb. 15 -- The key equity indices traded with small gains in mid-afternoon trade. The Nifty traded above the 21,850 mark. Auto shares witnessed buying demand for the third consecutive trading session.

At 13:26 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was advanced 171.81 points or 0.24% to 71,994.64. The Nifty 50 index added 53.45 points or 0.24% to 21,893.50

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.78% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 1.15%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,362 shares rose and 1,464 shares fell. A total of 83 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Auto index advanced 1.42% to 19,995.40. The index advanced 2.92% in three trading ses...