On the BSE, 2,356 stocks were advancing against 1,316 declining, with 146 stocks hitting 52-week highs and 65 touching 52-week lows

Nifty traded near 24,100 at midday as HCL Tech and ITC gained, while banking stocks, Maruti Suzuki, Nestle India and IndiGo declined.

Indian stock markets traded higher on Thursday, with key indices showing gains. The Sensex rose over 300 points, reaching 76,900 on its weekly expiry day. Nifty 50 also gained…