Market Brief: Union Budget Special Session **Key Event: Special Sunday Trading** Indian stock markets (NSE & BSE) will remain **open** on Sunday, **February 1, 2026**, for a full live trading session during the Union Budget presentation. This marks a rare Sunday session to allow real-time price discovery as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the FY27 budget. **Trading Hours (Feb 1, 2026)** * **Pre-Open:** 09:00 AM – 09:08 AM * **Normal Market:** 09:15 AM – 03:30 PM * **Commodities (MCX):** 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM **Critical Settlement Update** Sunday, February 1 is a **settlement holiday**. * **Intraday:** Available as usual. * **T+0 Settlement:** **Suspended** for the day. * **Trade Settlement:** Transactions from **Friday, Jan 30** and **Sunday, Feb 1** will effectively settle on **Monday, Feb 2**. * **Selling Eligibility:** Shares purchased on Jan 30 may not be eligible for selling on Feb 1 due to the holiday gap, depending on broker policies. **Market Expectations & Strategy** Analysts expect a **fiscal consolidation** path with a deficit target near **4.3%** of GDP. * **Focus Areas:** Continued heavy lifting on **Capital Expenditure (Capex)** with projected growth of **~10-15%**. * **Key Sectors:** **Defence** (modernization push), **Infrastructure** (power & nuclear), and **Rural Consumption** (demand boosters). * **Volatility Alert:** Markets often see sharp intraday swings during the speech. Traders should maintain strict stop-losses as liquidity fluctuates with policy announcements. **Actionable Insight:** Review your **BTST (Buy Today, Sell Tomorrow)** positions from Friday; the settlement holiday may block selling these shares on Sunday. Ensure sufficient margin is available for Sunday trades as unsettled proceeds from Friday will likely be blocked until Monday.