Mumbai, Nov. 3 -- The key equity benchmarks traded with major gains in the early afternoon trade, supported by easing crude oil prices and sustained buying interest from foreign institutional investors (FIIs). The positive momentum lifted the Nifty above the 23,650 mark, reflecting improved investor sentiment.

Auto stocks extended their rally for the second consecutive trading session.

At 12:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex jumped 810.91 points or 1.08% to 76,503.97. The Nifty 50 index rose 217.20 points or 0.93% to 23,658.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index gained 0.80% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index added 0.52%.

The market breadth was strong. On the NSE, 2,250 shares rose and 1,176 shares fell. A total of...