NEW DELHI: On Friday evening, on the occasion of Diwali Laxmi Puja, stock exchanges in India will be open for a special one-hour trade, in what is called Muhurat trading.
The exchange platforms —Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) — will be open for trading on Friday—from 6.0 pm to 7.0 p.m. The pre-market will open at 5:45 pm.
This is when the Samvat 2081, a Hindu calendar year, will start.
The Muhurat trading session typically consists of all the market segments, including equity, commodity derivatives, currency derivatives, equity futures and options (F&O), securities lending and borrowing (SLB), and so on, all within that one special hour.
The tradition of Muhurat trading, however, goes back a long time with the belief that investments made during this auspicious time will usher in good returns.
Also, the purchase of precious metals such as gold and silver, real estate, electronic items, and automobiles, among others, is specially timed by many on this auspicious day.
Usually, trading volumes at exchanges are high because lots of orders are placed all across. Last year, the benchmark stock indices soared substantially to brighten the investors’ fortunes during the stipulated one-hour period.
Data showed the number of investors over the past years has also been rising during this one-hour special trade, and also in general.
“Our data analysis over the past 10 years shows that markets have closed in the red only 3 times during the Muhurat trading session. This indicates some likely festive cheer in coming trading sessions,” said Vikram Kasat, Head – Advisory, PL Capital – Prabhudas Lilladher.
Amit Goel, Group CEO, MarketsMojo, recommended investors focus on sectors that promise enduring relevance over the next two decades — technology, healthcare, renewable energy, and infrastructure
“Each (of these sectors is) likely to drive significant value in a fast-evolving economy,” said Goel, in a note. (ANI)