Union Budget 2026: Special Sunday Trading Session, Settlement Rules & MCX Margin Changes Explained

Indian stock and commodity markets will remain open on Sunday, February 1, 2026, due to the presentation of the Union Budget 2026. The National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange will conduct a normal live trading session from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm, even though it is a Sunday. However, February 1 is a settlement holiday. This means shares bought on January 30 cannot be sold on February 1, and shares bought on February 1 cannot be sold on February 2, as the transfer of shares and money will happen only when settlement resumes. Along with equity markets, commodity exchanges will also operate. The Multi Commodity Exchange and National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange will hold special trading sessions. MCX trading will run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, while NCDEX will start with a pre-open session at 9:45 am. In the commodities segment, MCX has revised margin requirements for bullion due to high volatility. Gold margins have been increased to 20% and silver margins to 25%, effective from February 1, 2026. At the same time, additional margins on near-month gold and silver contracts will be withdrawn from the same date. Overall, while trading is allowed across stocks and commodities on Budget Day, investors and traders should be careful with settlement rules and higher margins, especially in bullion contracts.