NSE and BSE set for special Diwali trading session today

Indian stock exchanges are hosting a special one-hour Muhurat Trading session today as part of the Diwali festival celebrations. Investors view this annual event as a time to buy stocks for luck and prosperity as a new Hindu calendar year begins. Regular market trading remains closed on Tuesday, November 10, but major exchanges have set up a detailed schedule for the afternoon.

Market Timings

Trading members can log in between 1:15 pm and 1:50 pm, followed by a block deal window from 1:50 pm to 2:05 pm. The pre-opening session runs from 2:05 pm to 2:20 pm, and continuous trading takes place from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm. Periodic call auction sessions and closing activities run through the late afternoon until the post-closing session ends at 4 pm. The Multi Commodity Exchange also runs a matching special trading window from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm.

Past Performance

Samvat 2082 proved difficult for Indian equities due to global tensions, crude oil prices above $110 a barrel, rising US bond yields, and rupee depreciation. The Nifty fell 11.3% in March alone, and the RBI hiked the repo rate to 5.50% to fight inflation. Foreign portfolio investors pulled out a record ₹3.3 lakh crore, but domestic institutional investors poured in ₹8.8 lakh crore and monthly SIP inflows hit ₹32,490 crore.

Context

Special Diwali trading is a decades-old Indian stock market tradition that marks the start of the Hindu calendar year, known as Samvat. While actual trading volume during this symbolic hour is usually low compared to normal days, retail participation remains high as an auspicious gesture.