Mumbai, Nov. 17 -- The headline equity benchmarks traded with modest gains in the mid-afternoon trade, supported by healthy second-quarter corporate earnings. However, investors remained cautious amid uncertainty surrounding progress on a potential U.S.-India trade deal.

The Nifty traded above the 25,950 mark. Realty shares advanced after declining in the past trading sessions.

At 14:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, gained 320.40 points or 0.38% to 84,883.18. The Nifty 50 index rose 82.95 points or 0.33% to 25,996. The Nifty Bank index hit a record high of 59,000.50 in mid-afternoon trade.

The broader market outperformed frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index jumped 0.63% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rallied 0....