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BSE and NSE will hold a rare Sunday session on Feb 1 2026 as the Union Budget is presented, letting investors react live to policy moves; Sensex and Nifty
The Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange will trade on Sunday, Feb 1 2026, to coincide with the Union Budget presentation, giving market participants real‑time access to policy announcements [2].
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Trading day | Sunday, Feb 1 2026 |
| Sensex close (prev. session) | 82,269 (+0.90%) |
| Nifty 50 close (prev. session) | 25,320.65 (+1.0%) |
| Trading hours | 9:15 am–3:30 pm (pre‑open 9:00–9:08) [2] |
The decision to open markets on a Sunday follows the 2025 Budget, which was held on a Saturday, marking only the second such weekend session since Independence [2]. The move allows investors to price in fiscal measures as they are announced, rather than reacting after hours. The pre‑budget week saw the Sensex rise about 0.9% and the Nifty 50 gain roughly 1%, buoyed by the recently concluded India‑EU Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to cut tariffs on most traded goods [2]. However, analysts noted that mixed corporate earnings, a weakening rupee, and continued foreign institutional investor (FII) selling limited upside despite the trade‑deal optimism [2].
Both exchanges will follow their standard schedule, with a pre‑open session from 9:00 am to 9:08 am and regular trading from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm; trade modifications will be allowed until 4:15 pm [2]. Commodity exchanges will also remain open, with the Multi Commodity Exchange starting at 9:00 am and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange at 10:00 am [2]. The continuity of trading hours means that any fiscal announcements at 11:00 am will be digested live, potentially generating sector‑specific moves. Historical data over the past 15 years show that the Nifty’s average intra‑day move on Budget day has been modest, suggesting limited volatility unless major surprises emerge [2].
Domestic institutional investors provided support in the prior week, offsetting net FII selling and helping keep the indices above short‑term moving averages, though both remain below their 55‑day EMA ranges [2]. Technical analysts highlighted the 24,900–24,300 zone as a key support for the Nifty, with 25,450 as the immediate resistance; for the Bank Nifty, the 59,300–59,250 zone is pivotal, while 60,000 serves as a psychological ceiling [2].
The Sunday session underscores the importance of real‑time market access during major fiscal events, while the modest historical volatility suggests that investors will be watching for any unexpected policy shifts that could break the prevailing cautious tone.
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 3 outlets · Jul 31, 2026 · How we report
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