Sat Feb 01 21:12:21 UTC 2025: ## Stock Markets to Remain Open for Union Budget 2025 Presentation
**Mumbai, India** – The Union Budget 2025, to be presented this Saturday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will see the stock markets remain open for trading, despite the unusual weekend timing. Both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have confirmed regular trading hours, from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM for equities, and until 5:00 PM for commodity derivatives. A pre-market session will run from 9:00 AM to 9:08 AM. However, the T+0 settlement session will be suspended.
This follows precedent set in 2015 and 2020, when the budget was also presented on a non-working day. The decision allows investors to react immediately to the government’s financial plans and policy changes, which often cause significant market fluctuations. Benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex are expected to show increased volatility throughout the day, reflecting investor response to the announcements.
The Budget, a key event for the Indian stock market, is anticipated to impact market sentiment significantly. Positive economic growth measures could lead to market gains, while unexpected fiscal measures or concerns about high spending might trigger corrections. Historically, Budget day has yielded mixed results, with both significant gains and losses observed in previous years.
The change in Budget presentation date to February 1st in 2017, from the previous last working day of February, aimed to allow more time for policy implementation within the fiscal year. This year’s Saturday presentation, however, presents a unique scenario ensuring continuous market activity despite the atypical timing.
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