Muhurat Trading 2026: Every Diwali, India's stock market observes a unique tradition that blends investment with culture and the belief in prosperity. Muhurat trading, the special one-hour evening trading session held on the occasion of Diwali, is considered an auspicious time to begin new investments, make symbolic stock purchases and welcome financial prosperity in the coming year. For generations, investors and traders have participated in this session, viewing it as an opportunity to mark the beginning of a new financial calendar with optimism.
The Indian stock market will usher in Samvat 2083 with its traditional Muhurat trading session on Sunday, November 8. The BSE and NSE will conduct the special session from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm, giving investors an opportunity to trade during a period traditionally associated with wealth and good fortune.
While the session is largely symbolic for many investors, its historical performance offers an interesting perspective on how benchmark indices have moved during these annual trading events. A comparison of Nifty 50, Sensex and Nifty Bank returns over the past 10 years, from 2016 to 2025, shows that all three indices have delivered positive returns in eight sessions, although the gains have generally remained modest.
The Nifty 50 recorded positive returns in eight of the last 10 Muhurat trading sessions, with losses in 2016 and 2017. The index declined 0.14% in 2016 and 0.63% in 2017, before delivering gains in every subsequent Diwali session between 2018 and 2025.
In the 2025 Muhurat trading session, the Sensex and Nifty opened on a strong note and initially climbed to their respective 52-week highs at the time. However, both benchmarks surrendered most of their early gains as the session progressed and eventually ended nearly flat. The Sensex advanced 63 points to close at 84,426, while the Nifty 50 gained 25 points to settle at 25,868.