Mumbai, Sept. 8 -- The key equity benchmarks closed with minor gains on Monday, supported by recent GST reforms and positive economic cues, though late profit-booking capped the upside.

The Nifty opened firm above the 24,800 mark and moved higher through most of the session before sharp selling in the final hour trimmed advances. The index eventually settled above the 24,750 level. Sectorally, auto stocks saw strong buying interest, driven by expectations of a demand recovery post-GST cuts. On the other hand, IT stocks remained under pressure amid speculation over possible restrictions on IT services exports.

Investor sentiment was buoyed by GST rate cuts, dovish signals from the US Federal Reserve after weak jobs data, and easing geopo...