Stock market to remain open on February 1, 2026, for Union Budget
- 30th January 2026
- 05:00 PM
- 3 min read
PL Capital
Summary
Indian stock markets will remain open for live trading on Sunday, February 1, 2026, to allow real-time price discovery during the presentation of the Union Budget 2026–27. The special trading session will be held across equities, derivatives and commodities, even though February 1 is a regular weekend holiday.Mumbai | January 30
Indian equity and commodity markets will operate on Sunday, February 1, 2026, as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget for the financial year 2026–27 in Parliament.
Both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), along with the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), will conduct a special live trading session, enabling investors and traders to react immediately to Budget announcements.
Equity market trading timings on February 1
As per official circulars issued by the exchanges, equity and derivatives markets will follow regular market timings:
- Pre-open session: 9:00 am to 9:08 am
- Normal market: 9:15 am to 3:30 pm
- Trade modification cut-off: 4:15 pm
Additional sessions
- Block Deal Session 1: 8:45 am – 9:00 am
- Special pre-open session (IPOs & relisted securities): 9:00 am – 9:45 am
- Call auction illiquid session: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
- Block Deal Session 2: 2:05 pm – 2:20 pm
- Post-closing session: 3:40 pm – 4:00 pm
Commodity market trading on Budget Day
Commodity markets will also remain open under special arrangements.
- MCX normal trading window: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Budget announcements related to import duties, agriculture, energy and taxation often trigger sharp moves in commodity prices, leading to higher intraday volatility.
Settlement holiday
While markets will be open, February 1, 2026, will be a settlement holiday due to Sunday. This has important implications for traders:
- Shares bought on January 30, 2026, cannot be sold on February 1, despite the special trading session
- Stocks purchased on February 1 cannot be sold on February 2, as settlement will not be available
- Proceeds from January 30 sell trades will be settled only on February 2, 2026
- Investors cannot transact at Sunday’s NAV; any orders placed on February 1 will be processed using the NAV declared on Monday, February 2
- Withdrawal requests will also be processed on February 2
- The T0 settlement session will not be available on Budget Day
Market participants are advised to factor in these constraints while planning short-term or intraday strategies.
Special trading session on Budget Day
The Union Budget is among the most market-sensitive economic events, often triggering sharp sector- and stock-specific reactions. Budget-sensitive areas such as banking, infrastructure, capital goods, consumption and commodities typically see heightened volatility during the speech.
To ensure real-time price discovery and avoid a delayed market reaction, exchanges conduct a full-fledged trading session even on a non-trading day.
For live Budget updates, follow PL Capital.
