**SPECIAL SUNDAY SESSION: MARKET BRIEF** **Date:** February 1, 2026 Indian markets open for a rare **Sunday trading session** today, marking only the second time in history the exchanges will operate a full session on a Sunday. This special session aligns with the presentation of the **Union Budget 2026** by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. **SESSION TIMINGS (Feb 1)** * **Pre-Open:** 09:00 – 09:08 AM * **Normal Market:** 09:15 AM – 03:30 PM * **Derivatives/Currency:** Standard commercial timings apply. * **Settlement:** Today is a settlement holiday. Trades executed today will settle under the regular T+1 cycle starting Monday; **T+0 settlement is unavailable**. **MARKET RECAP (Friday Closing)** Indices ended the week on a cautious note, snapping a three-day winning streak due to profit booking and pre-Budget jitters. * **Nifty 50:** Closed at **25,320** (-98 pts / -0.39%) * **Sensex:** Closed at **82,270** (-297 pts / -0.36%) * **Bank Nifty:** Closed at **59,578** (-0.63%) * **Volatility:** India VIX rose **1.96%** to **13.63**, signaling heightened anxiety ahead of the Budget speech. **SECTOR WATCH** * **Weakness:** **Metals** crashed over **5%** on Friday, emerging as the biggest drag. **IT** stocks slipped ~1% amid global growth concerns and rising US bond yields. * **Defensives:** **FMCG**, **Consumer Durables**, and **Media** bucked the trend, rising over **1%** each as investors shifted to safer bets. * **Focus:** Infrastructure, Defence, and Railways remain key high-beta sectors to watch during the Finance Minister's speech (11:00 AM). **COMMODITIES & GLOBAL CUES** * **Silver Crash:** MCX Silver witnessed a massive sell-off Friday, plunging nearly **15%** to settle around **₹3,42,390/kg**, reversing from record highs near ₹4.2L due to margin hikes and global profit-taking. * **Gold:** Prices corrected sharply, tracking global weakness. * **US Markets:** Wall Street closed lower (Nasdaq **-0.9%**, Dow **-0.4%**), weighed down by tech weakness and mixed economic data. * **Currency:** The Rupee weakened to a record low of **91.98** against the Dollar on Friday. **TRADING OUTLOOK** Expect high intraday volatility. Historical data suggests markets often consolidate during the speech and react decisively post-event. Traders should monitor margin requirements strictly given the expected spikes in VIX.