Mumbai, April 29 -- The headline equity indices posted strong gains in morning trade, driven by robust earnings, growing optimism over a potential early end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and other supportive factors that lifted investor sentiment. The Nifty climbed above the 24,250 mark, while auto stocks rebounded after declining in the previous trading session.

At 10:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex climbed 921.43 points or 1.20% to 77,808.34. The Nifty 50 index soared 292.30 points or 1.24% to 24,288.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index jumped 0.82% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index surged 0.83%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,388 shares rose and 1,274 shares fell. A total of 218 s...