Mumbai, March 17 -- The key equity indices traded with moderate gains in the afternoon trade, as concerns over the US government shutdown eased and investors awaited the outcome of the US Fed policy review later this week. The Nifty traded above the 22,450 mark. Pharma, financial services, and private bank shares advanced while IT, media, and FMCG shares declined.

At 13:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 291.26 points or 0.40% to 74,123.63. The Nifty 50 index added 96.50 points or 0.43% to 22,493.25.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.62% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.10%.

The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1,666 shares rose and 2,262 shares fell. A total of 176 shares ...