Mumbai, Feb. 1 -- The key equity indices trade with moderate gains in morning trade as investor sentiment remained upbeat ahead of the Union Budget 2026. Market reflected cautious optimism, with participants keenly awaiting key policy measures. Beyond sectoral announcements, focus remains firmly on the government's economic growth projections and the fiscal deficit numbers that would be laid out by the Central Government today. Nifty traded above 25,350 mark.

Auto shares witnessed buying demand for second consecutive trading session.

At 10:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 232.47 points or 0.28% to 82,497.42. The Nifty 50 index rose 49.20 points or 0.19% to 25,369.85.

The broader market underperformed the frontli...