Mumbai, March 19 -- The key equity indices traded with modest gains in the afternoon trade. The Nifty hovered above the 22,900 level. Metal shares extended gains for three consecutive trading sessions.

At 14:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 226.03 points or 0.30% to 75,527.29. The Nifty 50 index added 94.60 points or 0.41% to 22,924.50.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 2.28%, and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 2.10%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,973 shares rose and 1,016 shares fell. A total of 124 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index added 1.10% to 9,132.60. The index rallied 4.04% for the third consecutive trading...