Muhurat trading 2026: Sensex and Nifty end slightly lower, breaking Diwali gains streak
The Sensex and Nifty gave up early gains in the 70-minute Diwali session, closing down 0.04% and 0.18%.
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India’s benchmark indices ended Muhurat trading 2026 slightly lower on Sunday, 8 November, breaking a run of Diwali gains. The Sensex closed at 80,999.40, down 28.62 points or 0.04%, and the Nifty 50 ended at 24,986.40, down 43.95 points or 0.18%, The Federal reported. The special session marked the start of Samvat 2083, the Hindu financial year, and fell on Diwali 2026.
Why Muhurat trading 2026 ended in the red
Both indices started higher. The Sensex opened at 81,299.34 and touched an intraday high of 81,442.11, while the Nifty opened at 25,070.45 and reached 25,131.85, The Federal reported. Selling pressure then erased the gains, and the Nifty slipped below the 25,000 mark. The Federal attributed the fall to investors booking profits after the previous week’s rally.
The session ran for 70 minutes, from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm, on the NSE and BSE, according to a Financial Express report republished by IndiaIPO. Several outlets called the result the end of a nine-year run of Diwali gains, though at least one outlet counted eight years, so the exact length of the streak is not settled.
Key numbers
- 80,999.40: the Sensex close, down 28.62 points or 0.04%.
- 24,986.40: the Nifty 50 close, down 43.95 points or 0.18%.
- 70 minutes: the length of the session, from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm.
- 3,127 to 917: stocks that advanced against stocks that declined, per The Federal.
- About ₹45,961 crore: foreign portfolio investor buying of Indian equities over the previous week’s five sessions, per The Federal.
- 18.38: the India VIX, up 5.23%, per Financial Express.
Which sectors and stocks moved
Pharma and media led the gainers. Nifty Pharma rose about 1.7% and Nifty Media gained 1.71%, while Nifty Realty fell 0.65% and Nifty IT slipped 0.33%, according to Financial Express. Smaller companies did better than the large caps: the Nifty Smallcap 250 rose 1.20%.
Sun Pharma was the top gainer, and Tata Steel rose 2.09% to ₹190.20 on the Nifty, The Federal reported. SBI Life Insurance fell 1.11% and InterGlobe Aviation fell 1.07%.
What people said
Raamdeo Agrawal, chairman and co-founder of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said: “After two years of stagnation, market has the potential to give investors bumper returns by next Diwali.” He cited low valuations, high earnings growth, a possible fall in oil prices, a stable currency, returning foreign investors and moderating AI hype, Financial Express reported.
Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, stressed sticking with asset allocation through volatile phases rather than abandoning the plan when fear is high, according to the same report.
What happens next
Muhurat trading is symbolic and short, so one flat session says little about direction. Traders will watch whether the foreign buying that lifted the Nifty about 8.58% last week continues, The Federal reported. For wider festive-season context, see our report on Diwali online sales set to hit $15 to 16 billion, our earlier story on the global AI sell-off and India’s Sensex, and our India coverage.
Muhurat trading sets a symbolic tone for the new financial year. A flat close after a strong week shows investors booking profits, but one short session is not a trend.