Mumbai, May 23 -- The key equity benchmarks maintained strong upward momentum in mid-morning trade. The Nifty traded above the 24,850 mark. The market remained firm despite lingering worries about increasing U.S. interest rates and a growing federal deficit. Investors are likely to keep a close watch on bond yields and global economic indicators.

FMCG shares climbed after declining in the past trading session.

At 11:27 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, added 868.41 points or 1.07% to 81,820.40. The Nifty 50 index advanced268.80 points or 1.09% to 24,883.20

The broader market underperformed frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.39% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index jumped 0.35%.

The market breadth was positi...