Mumbai, Aug. 21 -- The frontline indices traded with modest gains in the early-afternoon trade, extending their five-day rally on hopes of a potential GST rate cut. However, investors remained cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve's annual symposium, awaiting signals on the future direction of interest rates. The Nifty traded tad above the 25,100 mark. Realty, pharma and oil & gas shares advanced, while auto, FMCG and PSU bank shares corrected.

At 13:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 221.66 points or 0.27% to 82,079.50. The Nifty 50 index added 49.40 points or 0.20% to 25,102.25.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.07% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index jumped 0.19%.

The overall market b...