Stock market will open despite February 1 being a Sunday: BSE-NSE took the decision due to Budget 2026; Trading will take place from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm

Like every year, this time too the country’s general budget will be presented on 1 February. Although this year February 1st is Sunday, despite this the stock market will function like normal days. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) have issued circulars giving this information on Friday.

According to the exchange, it has been decided to hold a special trading session on Sunday so that investors and traders can see the market reaction on the budget day.

Trading will start from 9:15 am, will continue till 3:30 pm

According to the circular issued by BSE and NSE, the market timings on Sunday, February 1 will remain the same as on working days (Monday to Friday). There will be a pre-open session from 9:00 am to 9:08 am.

After this, normal trading will start from 9:15 am, which will continue till 3:30 pm. Along with equity, there will be trading in derivatives (F&O) segment also at the same time.

Preparation to handle fluctuations during the budget

Generally, there is a lot of volatility in the stock market on the budget day. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will start the budget speech at 11 am. Experts say that investors react immediately to big announcements made in the budget.

If the market had remained closed on Sunday, a huge gap-up or gap-down could have been seen when the market opened on Monday. With the market remaining open on Sunday, investors will get a chance to manage their positions.

Opening of market on Sunday is a historic event.

This is a rare occasion in the parliamentary history of India when the budget is being presented on a Sunday and the market is also open. Earlier in 2025 and 2015, the budget was presented on Saturday, even then a special session was organized in the markets.

In the year 1999, the then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha changed the time of presenting the budget from 5 pm to 11 am, since then the same tradition has been going on.

There will be no T+0 settlement and auction

The exchange has made it clear that the market will definitely open on Sunday, but some services will remain closed. According to the circular, ‘T+0 settlement’ (share settlement on the same day) and ‘auction session’ will not be held on February 1. Since Sunday may be a holiday in banks, the fund settlement process will be completed on the next working day.

This will be Nirmala Sitharaman’s 9th budget.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her 9th consecutive budget this year. She will come very close to former Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s record of presenting 10 budgets. The middle class is expected to see changes in tax slabs and larger allocation for the infrastructure sector from this budget.