Stock markets closed for Good Friday holiday

NEW DELHI: Domestic equity markets are closed on April 3 for Good Friday, marking a scheduled pause in trading activity following a period of volatility.

According to the stock market holiday calendar shared by the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Friday’s closure is one of several upcoming breaks in the mid-year schedule, with the next holiday slated for Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.

Following Friday’s break, the markets will again close on notable holidays for the 2026 calendar year, including Maharashtra Day on May 1, Bakri Id on May 28, and Muharram on June 26. As the year progresses, the exchange will also observe holidays for Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

The final quarter of 2026 features breaks for Dussehra on October 20, Diwali-Balipratipada on November 10, and Prakash Gurpurb Sri Guru Nanak Dev on November 24, before the final holiday of the year on Christmas, December 25.

The stock markets recovered from early losses on Thursday and ended the session in the green, reflecting resilience in investor sentiment despite global uncertainties. The Nifty 50 index closed at 22,713.10, gaining 33.70 points or 0.15 per cent, while the BSE Sensex settled at 73,319.55, up by 185.23 points or 0.25 per cent.

Markets had opened on a weak note amid rising geopolitical tensions. However, a recovery during the day helped indices close with gains.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, said, “Indian equity markets opened on the back foot as Trump’s renewed threat to strike Iran “extremely hard”. Selling was widespread across all sectors, with IT being the lone exception. A short-covering-driven intraday recovery followed, though it lacked the depth of genuine conviction. So long as the Middle East remains a live powder keg, markets will continue to trade on headlines rather than fundamentals, keeping volatility elevated and directional clarity elusive”. (ANI)