Mumbai, Feb. 26 -- The domestic equity indices maintained moderate gains in mid-morning trade, extending their recovery for the second straight session. The upward momentum was primarily driven by strong buying interest in IT and pharma stocks, keeping the market firmly in positive territory. The Nifty traded above the 25,550 mark. Meanwhile, pharma stocks attracted buying interest for the fifth consecutive trading session.

At 11:27 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 230.43 points or 0.28% to 82,506.50. The Nifty 50 index gained 71.50 points or 0.28% to 25,554.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The BSE 150 MidCap Index added 0.50% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index rose 0.30%.

The market breadth was...