Global Stock Markets Close for Good Friday

Major stock exchanges around the world, including India's National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange, halted trading on Friday, April 3, 2026, in observance of Good Friday, providing investors with an extended break amid ongoing market volatility.

The closure affected all trading segments on the NSE and BSE, encompassing equities, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, and securities lending and borrowing. Commodity markets, including the Multi Commodity Exchange and National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, also suspended operations for both morning and evening sessions. As a settlement holiday, trades executed on Thursday, April 2, will clear on Monday, April 6, rather than following the standard timeline. This pause follows a series of recent interruptions, with markets closed on March 31 for Mahavir Jayanti and earlier for Ram Navami, resulting in a shortened trading week for Indian participants.

The holiday comes at a challenging time for Indian benchmarks. On March 30, the BSE Sensex fell 1,635.67 points, or 2.22 percent, to close at 71,947.55, while the Nifty 50 declined 488.20 points, or 2.14 percent, to 22,331.40. Banking and financial stocks led the...