Mumbai, Aug. 20 -- The headline equity indices traded with moderate gains in the early-afternoon trade. The Nifty traded above the 25,000 level. Metal shares extended gains for the third consecutive trading session.

At 12:28 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, added 183.34 points or 0.22% to 81,827.73. The Nifty 50 index rose 54.75 points or 0.22% to 25,034.20.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.46% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.37%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,365 shares rose and 1,514 shares fell. A total of 200 shares were unchanged.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rose 1....