Sensex and Nifty fall in Diwali Muhurat trade for first time since 2017

India’s Sensex and Nifty both closed lower during Diwali’s Muhurat trading session on Sunday, 8 November 2026, for the first time since 2017. The declines came after a strong run of gains in the benchmark indexes, while mid-cap and small-cap measures rose.

• Sensex: 80,999.40, down 28.62 points, or 0.04%.
• Nifty: 24,986.40, down 43.95 points, or 0.18%.
• BSE mid-cap and small-cap indexes rose 0.4% and 1.33%, respectively.

How the Diwali session ended

The session marked the start of Samvat 2083, the Hindu business year used by many market participants. The Economic Times described Muhurat trading as a symbolic one-hour session in which domestic retail traders make token transactions; traditionally, gains during it are regarded as a good omen for the year ahead. Both benchmarks last ended a Muhurat session lower in October 2017, when each fell 0.6%, the paper reported.

Why the broader market rose

The benchmark losses did not extend across the wider market. The Economic Times reported that the BSE 150 MidCap index gained 0.4% to 16,447.27 and the BSE 250 SmallCap rose 1.33% to 6,914.10. On the BSE, 3,253 shares rose, 947 fell and 254 were unchanged. The Indian Express reported mixed sector performance: pharmaceuticals and healthcare gained as much as 2%, while information technology and financial services weighed on the benchmarks. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were among the heavyweights that ended lower.

What the market outlook could mean

Ponmudi R, chief executive of Enrich Money, attributed the benchmark retreat to profit-taking after the week’s gains, The Times of India reported. Sunny Agrawal, head of fundamental retail research at SBICAPS Securities, told the Economic Times that easing geopolitical tensions and moderate crude prices could support markets, while uncertainty in global politics and policy could sustain volatility. Those are potential drivers, not explanations established for Sunday’s move.

Avinash Agarwal, Bandhan Life’s equity head, told The Indian Express that he considered the outlook for Samvat 2083 constructive, with moderate and more selective returns. He said earnings growth, rather than higher valuations, was likely to drive performance. The contrasting moves on Sunday show that the benchmark declines coincided with gains across much of the broader market; the session alone does not settle how the year will perform.