Mumbai, April 16 -- The key equity indices traded with modest gains in the afternoon trade. The Nifty climbed above the 23,400 level. Oil & gas shares extended gains for the third consecutive trading session.

At 14:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 254.66 points or 0.34% to 76,992.11. The Nifty 50 index added 88.15 points or 0.39% to 23,418.90.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.40% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rallied 0.83%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,537 shares rose and 1,324 shares fell. A total of 156 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Oil & Gas index advanced 0.97% to 10,525.10. The index rallied 4.82% in the past t...