Mumbai, Sept. 3 -- The headline equity benchmarks traded near the flatline with some positive points in morning trade as investors remained cautious ahead of a crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, which is widely expected to announce rate cuts on a range of goods.

The Nifty traded above the 24,550 mark. Metal stocks extended their gains for the third consecutive trading session.

At 10:30 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, added 34.60 points or 0.04% to 80,189.44. The Nifty 50 index rose 8.60 points or 0.03% to 24,588.20.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.44% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.90%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,553 shar...