- Summary
- The Nifty 50 and Sensex closed higher in eight out of ten Muhurat Trading sessions between 2016 and 2025.
- Both the indices recorded their strongest session gains in 2022, rising approximately 0.88%, while 2017 was the weakest year.
- Banking, IT, automobile, metals and other sectors featured among the stronger performers across different Muhurat Trading sessions.
- Muhurat Trading returns do not predict the next Samvat year’s performance, making research and long-term investment planning important.
Muhurat Trading in the Last Decade
Over the last 10 years, the Indian benchmark indices, the Nifty 50 and Sensex, have closed in positive territory during 8 out of 10 Muhurat Trading sessions from 2016 to 2025. Both the indices recorded their strongest gains in 2022, rising approximately 0.88%, while 2017 marked their weakest performance.
Let us look in detail at the Muhurat Trading performance in last 10 years!
NSE: Muhurat Trading Historical Performance: 2016 to 2025
Here is a glimpse of the Nifty 50 performance across the last 10 Muhurat Trading sessions:
| Date | Nifty Open | Nifty Close | Nifty Move% | Remark |
| 30 October 2016 | 8,672.35 | 8,625.70 | −0.14 | Declined |
| 19 October 2017 | 10,210.35 | 10,146.55 | −0.63 | Declined |
| 7 November 2018 | 10,614.45 | 10,598.40 | +0.65 | Gained |
| 27 October 2019 | 11,662.25 | 11,627.15 | +0.37 | Gained |
| 14 November 2020 | 12,823.35 | 12,780.25 | +0.47 | Gained |
| 4 November 2021 | 17,935.05 | 17,916.80 | +0.49 | Gained |
| 24 October 2022 | 17,736.35 | 17,730.75 | +0.88 | Gained |
| 12 November 2023 | 19,547.25 | 19,525.55 | +0.52 | Gained |
| 1 November 2024 | 24,302.75 | 24,304.35 | +0.41 | Gained |
| 21 October 2025 | 25,901.2 | 25,868.60 | +0.10 | Gained |
BSE: Muhurat Trading Historical Performance: 2015 to 2025
The table below highlights the Sensex’s performance during Muhurat Trading sessions over the last 10 years:
| Date | Nifty Open | Nifty Close | Nifty Move% | Remark |
| 30 October 2016 | 28,066.32 | 27,930.21 | -0.04 | Declined |
| 19 October 2017 | 32,656.75 | 32,389.96 | -0.60 | Declined |
| 7 November 2018 | 35,301.88 | 35,237.68 | +0.70 | Gained |
| 27 October 2019 | 39,397.37 | 39,250.20 | +0.49 | Gained |
| 14 November 2020 | 43,815.45 | 43,637.98 | +0.45 | Gained |
| 4 November 2021 | 60,207.97 | 60,067.62 | +0.49 | Gained |
| 24 October 2022 | 59,804.02 | 59,831.66 | +0.88 | Gained |
| 12 November 2023 | 65,418.98 | 65,259.45 | +0.55 | Gained |
| 1 November 2024 | 80,023.75 | 79,724.12 | +0.42 | Gained |
| 21 October 2025 | 84,484.67 | 84,426.34 | +0.07 | Gained |
Sectoral Trends for Muhurat Trading Over the Last Decade
Here is an overview of sectoral performance during Muhurat Trading from 2016 to 2025:
| Year | Top Sectors |
| 2016 | Consumer Durables, Healthcare, Metals and Pharmaceuticals |
| 2017 | Realty, Capital Goods, Consumer Durables, Healthcare, Technology, FMCG and Oil & Gas |
| 2018 | Automobile, Banking, IT, Metals and Consumption |
| 2019 | Automobile, Metals, Banking, IT and FMCG |
| 2020 | Realty and IT |
| 2021 | Automobile, Consumer Durables, Banking and Oil & Gas. |
| 2022 | Banking and Financial Services. |
| 2023 | Media, IT, Consumer Durables and Metals. |
| 2024 | Banking, Automobile and Oil & Gas |
| 2025 | Banking and Realty. |
Key Factors and Insights Surrounding Muhurat Trading Over the Decade
The following factors highlight the main trends in benchmark performance, intraday trading, sector movements and investor participation during Muhurat Trading over the decade:
- Index Performance and Win Rates: The Nifty 50 and Sensex closed positive in 8 out of 10 Muhurat Trading sessions over 2016 to 2025. The negative sessions over the decade in 2016 and 2017 occurred broadly due to macroeconomic pressures. This shows that festive sentiment does not always lead to positive market returns.
- Intraday Patterns and Trading Activity: Due to the symbolic 1-hour trading window, the indices rise or fall during the session. While the brief price falls can offer short-term trading opportunities, the shorter session keeps the buying and selling activity only for a limited period.
- Sectoral Trends Over the Decade: Banking, financial services, IT, automobile, metals, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and realty have typically featured among the stronger-performing sectors in different years.
- Cultural to Digital Evolution: Muhurat Trading has evolved from traditional exchange-floor celebrations and the exchange of mithai to online trading through mobile apps. Today, investors can make small symbolic purchases, known as shagun, to mark the beginning of the new Samvat year.
Why Does Muhurat Trading So Often Finish Positive?
Muhurat Trading has mostly ended with gains because of the festive sentiment and investor participation.
- Festive optimism and belief: Many investors believe that the Muhurat trading session during Diwali is an auspicious time to begin investing, which can encourage buying activity.
- Symbolic purchases: Some investors buy shares in small quantities to mark the start of the new Samvat year, to invite wealth and good fortune in their finances.
- Short trading session: Buying and selling take place within a limited period, so the changes in demand naturally push prices upward.
- Positive market sentiment: When broader market conditions are favourable, investors may be more willing to buy shares during the festive session.
Best and worst performing years
The best and worst performing years over the decade 2016 to 2025 are:
| Performance | Year | Nifty 50 Return | Sensex Return |
| Best | 2022 | +0.87% | +0.87% |
| Worst | 2017 | -0.63% | -0.59% |
Average return over the decade
The average return shows how much the benchmark indices gained or lost per Muhurat Trading session over the 10 years.
| Benchmark Index | Average Return per Session (2016–2025) |
| Nifty 50 | +0.31% |
| Sensex | +0.34% |
Does Muhurat trading predict the next Samvat year?
No, Muhurat trading does not reliably predict the performance or trend of the upcoming Samvat year.
- One session is not enough: A single session reflects market activity during a short period and cannot predict returns over the next twelve months.
- Economic conditions matter: Corporate earnings, inflation, interest rates and economic growth can affect market performance throughout the year after Muhurat Trading is over.
- Global developments matter: Foreign investor activity, geopolitical events and changes in global markets affect Indian stock prices.
How Investors Can Approach Muhurat Trading and the New Samvat
Muhurat Trading offers investors an opportunity to review their portfolios and plan for the new Samvat year. The following steps can help them make good investment decisions:
- Audit Asset Allocation : As Muhurat Trading 2026 approaches, investors can review their portfolio performance against their financial goals. If their investments no longer match their target asset allocation, they can rebalance them accordingly.
- Follow Buying Discipline : They can use limit orders to set the maximum price they are willing to pay for shares and check the company’s P/E ratio, earnings growth and debt levels before investing.
- Maintain Investment Momentum : Investors can continue their existing systematic investment plans (SIPs) according to their financial goals. Mutual fund investments follow applicable NAV cut-off and fund realisation rules, rather than the live share prices during the Muhurat session.
- Avoid Speculative Trades: They should avoid rushed intraday trades or speculative Futures and Options (F&O) positions only to participate in the festive session. Due to the highly compressed time frame, price volatility can be higher, which makes high-leverage speculative positions very risky for retail investors.
- Understand Settlement Rules: A common misconception is that Muhurat trading is purely “symbolic” or simulated. Trades executed during Muhurat Trading are real transactions and follow the applicable exchange settlement rules. Investors should account for brokerage charges, taxes and other transaction costs when assessing their returns.
What investors should keep in mind?
Here are some important factors investors should keep in mind for this year’s Muhurat trading:
- Circulars and Rules: Official NSE and BSE circulars provide the timings and order placement rules for Muhurat Trading, along with order modification and cancellation rules.
- Low Liquidity: Low liquidity may leave orders pending or result in partial execution at the desired price.
- Real Transactions: Muhurat Trading involves real transactions that follow the applicable exchange settlement rules.
- Brokerage & Costs: Brokerage charges, taxes and other transaction costs affect the final return on a trade.
- Corporate Actions: Dividends, stock splits and other corporate actions may affect share prices and investment value.
Conclusion
Muhurat Trading in last 10 years has largely ended on a positive note. The size and direction of returns have, however, varied each year, which reflects the changing market conditions.
As Samvat 2083 begins, the focus should remain on sound research, sensible valuations and long-term financial goals. This is because, while the Muhurat Trading session sets a festive mood, lasting investment returns depend on the research quality and decisions made well before Diwali.
