While many households will celebrate Lakshmi Puja on the evening of 20 October, aligned with the lunar calendar’s Amavasya tithi, the exchanges will observe the holiday officially on 21 October. Markets will also remain closed on 18 October for Dhanteras and on 19 October as per the regular weekend schedule.
The Muhurat Trading session, breaking from its typical evening slot in recent years, will take place in the afternoon this year. Trading will be permitted across equities, futures and options, currency and commodity derivatives, and securities lending and borrowing (SLB), with modifications allowed until 2:55 PM.
Muhurat Trading
Muhurat Trading — meaning “auspicious hour” — is more than a market event. For investors, it marks the start of Samvat 2082 and is viewed as a symbolic gesture of optimism and a prayer for prosperity rather than a profit-driven exercise.
Historical data shows the Sensex has closed higher in 14 of the past 18 Muhurat sessions. Even in 2008, amid the global financial crisis, the index rose 5.86% during the session. In 2024, it gained 335 points, or 0.42%, continuing the trend of festive cheer.
Volumes during the one-hour session are typically thin, often leading to volatility, but few view it as a standard trading day.Also read | Tata Motors demerger: Trucks and buses business valued at Rs 260.75 per share(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)