Sensex Ends Slightly Lower, Nifty Near 25,000 in Muhurat Trading Session

Indian stock markets kicked off the Samvat 2083 year with Muhurat trading on Sunday, November 6, 2026. The session, held in celebration of Diwali, saw the benchmark indices trade in a narrow range, ending nearly flat but with a slight negative bias. Investors showed caution amid mixed movements across key sectors.

The BSE Sensex started strong and reached an intraday high of 81,442 before retreating to close 28.62 points lower at 80,999.40. Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty 50 index surged to a peak of 25,131.85 during the session but ultimately slipped 43.95 points, finishing at 24,986.40. This marginal decline placed the Nifty just below the psychologically significant 25,000 mark.

Among the Nifty 50 stocks, SBI Life Insurance, InterGlobe Aviation, and Bharti Airtel were the notable decliners. Conversely, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Tata Steel emerged as the session's top gainers, illustrating the sectoral divergence that characterized the trading day.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap 100 index managed a modest gain of 0.13 percent, while the Nifty SmallCap index advanced by 0.94 percent. Sector-wise, pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks saw the strongest gains, reflecting investor interest in defensive segments. In contrast, banking stocks, including both public and private sector banks, experienced declines, contributing to the overall cautious tone.

Market experts offered insights into the outlook for the new financial year. Raamdeo Agrawal, Chairman and Co-Founder of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, expressed optimism, citing a combination of low valuations and anticipated earnings growth as factors that could deliver substantial returns by the next Diwali. He highlighted several supportive elements, such as a potential drop in oil prices, currency stability, renewed foreign investor interest, and a moderation of hype surrounding artificial intelligence. According to Agrawal, these dynamics could enhance valuation multiples and drive market gains over the coming months.

Gaurav Garg, Head of Research at Lemonn, described the trading day as one of cautious optimism rather than aggressive buying. He noted that investors were selective in their approach, reflecting uncertainty about near-term catalysts. Garg emphasized that the trajectory of the market in Samvat 2083 would depend on several factors, including corporate earnings results, domestic economic growth, foreign fund flows, global developments, and movements in crude oil prices.

Activity during the session was concentrated in certain high-profile stocks. Divi's Laboratories, Finolex Cables, HDFC Bank, and Reliance Industries were among the most actively traded shares by value. Divi's Labs and other pharmaceutical stocks like Wockhardt also posted gains, reinforcing the sector's strength.

On the earnings front, KIOCL's shares rose over 3 percent after reporting a net profit of ₹5 crore in the second quarter of fiscal year 2027, a recovery from losses posted in the previous year. However, HBL Engineering faced a sharp decline of nearly 8 percent in its share price due to a 50 percent drop in net profit to ₹193 crore in the same quarter.

Banking stocks were generally under pressure, with Federal Bank, IndusInd Bank, and Punjab National Bank among the leading decliners in the Nifty Bank index. This contributed to the negative performance seen in the financial sector during the Muhurat session.

The Muhurat trading session is traditionally symbolic, marking a fresh start for investors in the Indian markets coinciding with the festival of lights. Though it often sees lower volumes and mixed performances, the session sets the tone for market sentiment in the coming year. This year’s session reflected a blend of optimism tempered by caution, as investors weighed various domestic and global factors.

Overall, Samvat 2083 began with markets demonstrating resilience amid uncertainty. Investors will closely monitor upcoming corporate earnings and macroeconomic indicators to gauge the direction of market trends in the months ahead.