Mumbai, May 21 -- The headline equity benchmarks traded with minor gains in early afternoon trade, supported by sustained buying interest. Investors remained focused on global cues and Q4 earnings announcements. Auto stocks edged higher after declining in the previous session. The Nifty traded above the 24,750 mark.

At 12:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex added 204.22 points or 0.26% to 81,394.18. The Nifty 50 index rose 72.65 points or 0.29% to 24,775.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.36% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index shed 0.06%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,895 shares rose and 1,844 shares fell. A total of 172 shares were unchanged.

Economy:

India's infrastructure output, wh...