Mumbai, March 25 -- The key domestic indices traded with decent gains in early trade. The Nifty traded near 23,700 level. IT and private bank stocks advanced while pharma, metal and oil & gas shares declined.

At 09:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, added 171.59 points or 0.22% to 78,158.51. The Nifty 50 index advanced 38.95 points or 0.16% to 23,697.30.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.12% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.10%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,608 shares rose and 1,336 shares fell. A total of 121 shares were unchanged.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 3,055.76 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the t...