Markets maintain gain in afternoon trade

Indian equity markets extended their gain early Wednesday afternoon.

At 12:30 p.m., the 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, was up by 216.31 points or 1.67 percent at 13,177.99. It had touched a high of 13,224.26 earlier.

At the same time the broader based S and amp;P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange was up by 52.50 points or 1.34 percent at 3,948.95.

However, the market breadth was negative. On BSE 697 shares advanced, 1,796 declined and 53 remained unchanged.