On Friday evening, on the occasion of Diwali Laxmi Puja, stock exchanges in India will be open for a special one-hour trade, in what is called Muhurat trading.
The exchange platforms -- Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange -- will be open for trading on Friday -- from 6.0 pm to 7.0 p.m.
The pre-market will open at 5:45 pm.
This is when the Samvat 2081, a Hindu calendar year, will start.
The Muhurat trading session typically consists of all the market segments, including equity, commodity derivatives, currency derivatives, equity futures and options, securities lending and borrowing, and so on, all within that one special hour.
The tradition of Muhurat trading, however, goes back a long time with the belief that investments made during this auspicious time will usher in good returns.
Also, the purchase of precious metals such as gold and silver, real estate, electronic items, and automobiles, among others, is specially timed by many on this auspicious day. -- ANI