Indian Stock and Commodity Exchanges Schedule Special Diwali Muhurat Trading Session

Indian stock and commodity markets will hold a special Muhurat trading session on Sunday on the occasion of Diwali, marking the beginning of Samvat 2083. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have announced the schedule for the special equity market session, while the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) has issued separate timings for commodity trading.

According to circulars from the NSE and BSE, the block deal window will operate from 1:50 pm to 2:05 pm, followed by a pre-open session from 2:05 pm to 2:17 pm that covers order entry, matching, and trade confirmation. Continuous trading on both exchanges will begin at 2:20 pm and run until 3:30 pm.

Both exchanges have also scheduled a closing auction process, which begins with the transition from continuous trading at 3:15 pm and concludes by 3:50 pm. The post-closing session is scheduled from 3:50 pm to 4:00 pm. Additionally, the BSE has set its trade modification window from 2:20 pm to 4:15 pm.

On the commodity side, the MCX stated that contracts across all commodities and indices will be available for trading. Its special session will run from 2:05 pm to 2:19 pm, with the main trading session taking place between 2:20 pm and 3:30 pm. The client code modification window will remain open until 3:45 pm.

This special trading session comes in the wake of a strong rally in domestic equities on Friday. Benchmark indices extended their gains for the seventh consecutive trading session, defying a sell-off in major global markets and technology stocks.

During Friday's session, the Sensex surged 1,718.01 points, or 2.17 percent, to close at 81,028.02, successfully reclaiming the 80,000 mark. Meanwhile, the Nifty gained 493.75 points, or 2.01 percent, to settle at 25,030.35, crossing the 25,000 level.

Banking and financial services stocks drove the rally, with both sectoral indices rising over 2 percent. They were followed by gains in consumer durables and pharmaceutical stocks. The Nifty 100 emerged as the top gainer among broader market indices, advancing over 1 percent, though overall broader market performance remained mixed.

Investors will enter the new Samvat year following these sharp gains from the previous session. Global developments and overall investor sentiment are expected to remain key factors influencing near-term market direction.

"The Diwali Muhurat trading session is a symbolic and time-honored tradition in the Indian financial markets, welcoming Samvat 2083 on a positive note following Friday's strong rally. While this special one-hour session often reflects high sentiment and retail participation, investors should continue to evaluate long-term fundamentals rather than short-term momentum. Navigating the new Samvat year will require a balanced approach, keeping a close eye on global developments, sectoral performance, and macroeconomic indicators to manage risk effectively in a dynamic economic environment." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes