Muhurat session marks Vikram Samvat 2082 in Indian markets

Indian equity exchanges observed the Diwali calendar this week, holding a short, symbolic Muhurat trading session on Tuesday, October 21, before remaining closed on Wednesday, October 22 for Balipratipada. The Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange were open for regular trading on Monday, October 20 and will resume normal sessions on Thursday, October 23.

The exchanges ran the Muhurat session, a one hour window regarded as auspicious by many investors, from 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. IST on October 21, with a 15 minute preopen from 1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Post-close modifications were allowed until 2:55 p.m. Equity delivery orders placed on October 20 and during the Muhurat window on October 21 will be settled on Wednesday, October 23, reflecting the midweek holiday on October 22. The Multi Commodity Exchange announced holidays for October 21 and 22, will be closed all day on the 21st and said it will open an evening session on October 22; it also planned a Muhurat session on the 21st.

Trading during the Muhurat session was modest in volume but broadly participated in large-cap and cyclical names. Benchmarks registered only marginal gains by the close of the special...