BSE, NSE holiday: Is stock market open or close for trading today?

The stock market is in for an extended break after closing for the special Diwali Muhurat trading session. Both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) are closed on Wednesday, October 22, on account of Diwali Balipratipada, with regular trading to resume on Thursday, October 23.

The stock market was closed on Tuesday on account of Diwali and only two more holidays remain this year. One for Guru Nanank Jayanti on November 05 and the other for Christmas, December 25.

The closure comes a day after the traditional Muhurat trading session, which took place on Tuesday and marked the beginning of the new Samvat year 2082. The one-hour special session, considered auspicious for investors, saw a lively start with strong buying in blue-chip stocks. However, the early gains did not last long as profit-taking towards the end pulled the indices down from the day’s highs.

During the session, the Sensex had jumped more than 270 points at the opening bell, while the Nifty briefly crossed the 25,900 mark, supported by buying in large-cap stocks like Infosys, HDFC Bank, and Mahindra & Mahindra. By the close, both indices ended slightly higher, reflecting mixed investor sentiment.

Despite the muted finish, the overall atmosphere remained positive as traders participated in symbolic trades to mark the beginning of the new financial year on a hopeful note.

The Muhurat session, held between 1:45 pm and 2:45 pm, recorded light volumes but healthy participation across financial, auto, and energy sectors.

WHY IS DIWALI BALIPRATIPADA CELEBRATED?

Diwali Balipratipada, also known as Govardhan Puja or Padwa, is celebrated a day after Diwali. The festival is dedicated to King Bali, known for his devotion and generosity.

As per legend, Lord Vishnu, in his Vamana avatar, granted King Bali the boon to visit his people once every year. This day symbolises his return and represents renewal, prosperity, and the victory of humility and good governance over arrogance and greed.

For traders and investors, the day is considered auspicious as it marks new beginnings, both spiritually and financially. It also signifies the start of a new financial cycle, prompting many to initiate fresh investments during the period.

SAMVAT 2082 MARKET OUTLOOK

Market experts believe the positive start to Samvat 2082 reflects hopes of stronger corporate earnings and renewed investor optimism. According to VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, “Despite a robust pre-Diwali rally, Samvat 2081 was a year of consolidation. The market’s underperformance was driven by a sharp slowdown in earnings growth to around 5%.”

Brokerage firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd said the new Samvat year begins on a strong footing due to policy support and improving liquidity conditions.

“Samvat 2082 begins on a positive note, thanks to a combination of fiscal and monetary tailwinds. The RBI has cut the repo rate by 100 bps and CRR by 150 bps, together with several measures, injecting much-needed liquidity into the system. This, coupled with the income tax relief of Rs 1 lakh crore, would aid demand revival and improve potential for corporate earnings,” the firm stated.

The report added that inflation remains under control and the GST 2.0 rollout has simplified rates, reviving consumer sentiment. These factors, it said, could mark the beginning of a turnaround in India’s domestic growth momentum.

Motilal Oswal further expects a pick-up in private capital expenditure and consumption-led growth to drive markets ahead.

“We perceive H2FY26 to mark the crossing over from a subdued low-single-digit earnings growth to a more sustainable double-digit growth. Nifty earnings growth is expected at a healthy 8% in FY26 and 16% in FY27, compared to 1% in FY25. Nifty valuations remain reasonable at about 20x FY26 earnings, close to long-term averages. However, mid and small-cap stocks trade at a slight premium, so investors should follow a selective approach in stock picking,” it said.

For Samvat 2082, Motilal Oswal expects domestic cyclical and structural growth themes to perform well. It remains positive on sectors such as banking and financial services (BFSI), capital markets, consumption, manufacturing (including defence, industrials, and electronics), and digital businesses.

(Disclaimer: The views, opinions, recommendations, and suggestions expressed by experts/brokerages in this article are their own and do not reflect the views of the India Today Group. It is advisable to consult a qualified broker or financial advisor before making any actual investment or trading choices.)

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