Mumbai, Sept. 15 -- The headline equity indices traded sideways in early-afternoon trade as investors stayed cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting, where the central bank is expected to resume its easing cycle. Market sentiment was also supported by hopes of progress in India's trade talks with Washington.

The Nifty traded below the 25,150 mark. Auto shares fell after advancing in the past trading session.

At 13:28 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 21.74 points or 0.03% to 81,924.53. The Nifty 50 index shed 4.90 points or 0.02% to 25,108.50.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.30% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.61%.

The market breadth wa...