Mumbai, Sept. 25 -- The key equity benchmarks s traded with minor gains in early afternoon trade, supported by value buying after the sharp decline in the previous session. Easing crude oil prices and a decline in market volatility also supported sentiment. The Nifty traded above the 23,050 mark.

Realty shares rebounded after declining in the previous trading session.

At 12:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 123.34 points or 0.17% to 73,703.88. The Nifty 50 index rose 12.80 points or 0.05% to 23,076.05.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index declined 0.51% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index dropped 0.32%.

The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1,826 shares rose and 2,256 shares fell. A total of 255 sha...