Stock market today, June 17 -- Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Wednesday, extending their recent gains as falling crude oil prices and easing geopolitical concerns continued to support investor sentiment.

At 9:15 IST, the NSE Nifty 50 rose 0.23% to 24,044.50, while the BSE Sensex advanced 0.35% to 77,080.09.

The rally has been strong over the past three sessions, with the Nifty 50 gaining 3.6% and the Sensex rising 4%, driven largely by a sharp decline in oil prices following the announcement of a US-Iran peace agreement.

Market breadth remained positive, with 15 of the 16 major sectoral indices trading in the green. Broader markets also participated in the upmove, as the small-cap and mid-cap indices gained 0.4% and 0.3%, re...