Stock Market Timings India

Indian stock market functions trading under specific time standards in India. Between the timings of 9.15 am to 3.30 pm, from Monday to Friday, the market performs the trade for the retail customers with respect to the brokerage agency. India has two major stock exchanges- Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE), which are preferred by the investors for undertaking purchases and sales of securities.

The timings of trade at Indian Stock Market are divided into three sections-

Pre-opening timings-

The first section of three timings, starts between 9.00 am to 9.15 am. This section specifically deals with placing orders on the securities for sale and purchase. This is again, minute specific dealing which can be further divided into a set of three sessions.

9.00 a.m- 9.08 a.m

The first window opens at 9.00 am at the stock market. During this timing, investors place their orders for transactions. Once the trading begins, the transactions are taken forward following the order sequences. The orders are placed and issued in the beginning in lieu of the orders placed. During this time, the investors can also change or cancel the orders, but no orders can be placed after these 8 minutes sessions.

9.08 a.m- 9.12 a.m

This session is crucial as during the 9.08 a.m to 9.12 a.m, the prices are determined on the security. Prices are decided in lieu of the demand and supply ratio of the security to ensure accuracy on transactions 

9.08 a.m. – 9.12 a.m.

This segment of Indian share market timing is responsible for price determination of security. Price matching order is done by corresponding demand and supply prices to ensure accurate transactions among investors who want to purchase or sell a security, respectively.  Determination of final prices at which trading will begin during normal Indian stock market timing is done through a multilateral order matching system.

Price matching order plays a vital role in determining the price at which the security is transacted during a normal session of Indian stock market timing.

However, benefits of modification of any order already placed in not available during this session.

9.12 a.m. – 9.15 a.m. 

This time acts as a transition period between pre opening and normal Indian share market timing. No additional orders for transactions can be placed during this time. Also, existing bets already placed from 9.08 a.m. – 9.12 a.m. cannot be revoked as well.

Normal Session

This is the primary Indian share market timing lasting from 9.15 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Any transactions made during this time follows a bilateral order matching system, wherein price determination is done through demand and supply forces.

Bilateral order matching system is volatile, thereby inducing several market fluctuations which are ultimately reflected in security prices. To control this volatility, the multi-order system was formulated for the pre-opening session and was incorporated in Indian stock market timings.

Post-closing Session

Stock market closing time in India is marked at 3.30 p.m. No exchange takes place after this period. However, the determination of closing price is done during this time, which has a significant effect on the following day’s opening security price.

Stock market closing time in India can be divided into two sessions –

3.30 p.m. – 3.40 p.m.

The closing price is calculated using a weighted average of prices at securities trading from 3 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. in a stock exchange. For determining the closing prices of benchmark and sector indices such as Nifty, Sensex, S&P Auto, etc. weighted average prices of listed securities are considered.

3.40 p.m. – 4 p.m. 

This period is post stock market closing time when bids for the following day’s trade can be placed. Bids placed during this time are confirmed, provided adequate buyers and sellers are present in the market. These transactions are completed at a stipulated price, irrespective of changes in opening market price.

Thus, capital gains can be realised if opening price exceeds closing price by an investor who has already placed their bids. In case closing price exceeds opening share price, bids can be cancelled during the narrow window of 9.00 a.m. – 9.08 a.m.

The overall stock market operating time in India can be demonstrated by the following table:

Trade in the stock market can only be undertaken during a specific time interval in India. Retail customers have to perform such transactions through a brokerage agency between 9.15 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. on weekdays. Most investors undertake purchase/sale of securities listed on the major stock exchanges in India – Bombay stock exchange (BSE) and National Stock exchange (NSE). Indian stock market timings are the same for both these major stock exchanges.

Indian stock market timings for trade is divided into three segments:

Understanding Forex Market Hours

Have you ever wondered why the forex markets are called 24 hour markets? Or why they operate round the clock? That’s because the currency markets include participants from across the world. This is not just individual traders we’re talking about. International banks, companies, central banks of different countries as well as institutional and retail investors across different time zones participate in the forex markets.

Since the currency markets involve so many countries, it is important to ensure that the markets are open across the various time zones. Typically, the timings for the largest markets in the world in terms of Coordinated Universal Time or UTC are as follows:

• New York: 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM UTC (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST)
• Tokyo: 12:00 AM to 9:00 AM UTC (7:00 PM to 4:00 AM EST)
• Sydney: 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM UTC (5:00 PM to 2:00 AM EST)
• London: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM UTC (3:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST)

As you can see, the timings for the New York markets and the London markets overlap. Specifically, the first half of New York trading hours and the latter half of London trading hours are among the busiest hours in the forex markets. This is when the volume of trades typically reaches an all-time high.

Also, while the market may be active round the clock, not all currencies are traded at all times. Only the following 7 major currencies are traded 24x7:

• U.S. Dollar
• Euro
• Japanese Yen
• British Pound
• Australian Dollar
• Canadian Dollar
• New Zealand Dollar

Muhurat Trading

The term Muhurat essentially refers to an auspicious time. Muhurat trading is a special trading session that occurs in the Indian markets during Diwali each year. The stock exchanges specify the timings for the Muhurat trading session, which typically lasts for an hour on the occasion of Diwali. 

Since this session is considered to be scheduled at an auspicious time, the common belief is that it can improve the chances of creating wealth. This also ties in with the belief that Diwali is a festival where people worship Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth. 

If you want to make the most of this extra trading session, keep an eye out for the timings specified by the NSE and the BSE on their websites. The session timings vary from one year to the next, so you need to be updated about the same. Apart from these key characteristics, trading during the Muhurat session takes place in just the same manner as it does on regular trading days. 

Wrapping up

Now that you understand the nitty gritties of 24 hours of markets, it’s only logical that we move on to the next big topic - The 12 months of trading. To discover the answer, head to the next chapter. 

A quick recap

• Pre-opening timings start between 9.00 am to 9.15 am. This section specifically deals with placing orders on the securities for sale and purchase.
• Normal Session is the primary Indian share market timing lasting from 9.15 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Following a bilateral order matching system, price determination is done through demand and supply forces.
• Post-closing Session refers to closure of the market at 3:30 pm. No exchange takes place after this period, however, closing price is finalised which is significant for next day's opening security price.