Will Bulls Stay in Control During Muhurat Trading? Experts Share Outlook

Muhurat Session Puts Festive Optimism to a One-Hour Test

A positive start is in focus, but a brief, sentiment-led session may say little about the market’s direction beyond the festivities.

Indian equities enter the special Muhurat trading session with a strong run behind them. The Sensex and Nifty 50 ended Friday higher for a seventh consecutive session, while analysts point to festive optimism, improving investor sentiment and expectations of better corporate earnings as possible supports for the next session.

The session is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM, preceded by a 15-minute pre-opening session. Trading will otherwise be closed. The calendar’s ceremonial significance may attract attention, but the short window makes it important to separate sentiment from evidence about the market’s underlying direction.

A favourable historical pattern, but a small sample

The Sensex and Nifty 50 rose in eight of the 10 Muhurat sessions between 2016 and 2025, and declined in the other two, in 2016 and 2017. That record supports the expectation of a positive bias, but it does not establish that gains in a single special session will continue afterward. Past outcomes offer context, not a dependable forecast for the coming year.

The latest momentum is more immediate: over seven consecutive sessions, the Sensex gained 7,782 points, or 10.62%, to 80,434.65, while the Nifty added 2,331.5 points, or 10.27%, to 25,030.35. That run may reinforce optimism, although it also makes it worth considering whether expectations have already moved ahead of the factors that will ultimately sustain market gains.

Analysts see room for further gains, with conditions

For Samvat 2083, analyst Vinit Bolinjkar expects the Nifty to reach 26,500–27,000 by the next Diwali and puts the Sensex target range at 85,500–87,000. The outlook rests on improving valuations and a recovery in corporate earnings. These are analyst expectations, not assured outcomes; the earnings recovery in particular will need to materialise for optimism to translate into durable market support.

Banking, consumption, infrastructure and capital goods are among the areas that could draw investor interest, according to analyst Abhinav Tiwari, who points to their long-term growth potential. That is a sector view rather than a guarantee of returns. Company performance and valuations still matter, and the source outlook does not identify specific stocks or establish that every business in these sectors will benefit equally.

Why the one-hour session needs perspective

The special session can reflect festive mood and short-term positioning, but its limited duration and participation constrain what investors can infer from a day’s trading. Ravi Singh cautioned that a positive Muhurat session should not be treated as confirmation of a sustained rally. The more consequential test will be whether corporate earnings and economic fundamentals support the market’s advance after the event.

Global uncertainties, foreign investor flows, crude oil prices and elevated valuations remain potential constraints on the upside. These risks could temper sentiment even if the session itself opens on a constructive note. Investors may therefore find it more useful to focus on business quality and investment discipline than on trying to extract a short-term signal from a ceremonial trading window.

Key Highlights

• The Muhurat session is scheduled for 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM, with pre-opening from 2:05 PM to 2:20 PM.
• The Sensex and Nifty rose in eight of the 10 sessions between 2016 and 2025.
• Analysts see a positive bias, citing festive sentiment, recent momentum and earnings expectations.
• One analyst’s Samvat 2083 targets are 26,500–27,000 for the Nifty and 85,500–87,000 for the Sensex by next Diwali.
• Global uncertainty, foreign flows, crude prices and valuations could limit gains.
• Analysts favour gradual, selective investing in quality businesses over aggressive buying.

Investor Note: Treat the Muhurat session as a market occasion, not a standalone investment signal. Consider gradual additions to quality investments in line with your risk tolerance, and assess the broader earnings and market backdrop before making decisions; the outlook and targets cited are analyst views, not assured returns.