Financial Markets To Remain Shut On Friday For Mahashivratri

Mahashivratri 2020 Market Holiday: Domestic capital, debt and foreign exchange (forex) markets will remain shut on Friday for Mahashivratri. On Thursday, the S&P BSE Sensex index ended 152.88 points - or 0.37 per cent - lower at 41,170.12, and the broader NSE Nifty benchmark settled at 12,080.85, down 45.05 points - or 0.37 per cent - from the previous close. The rupee slid by 10 paise to close at a more than one-month low of 71.64 against the US dollar, a day after the forex markets remained shut on account of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti. The 10-year benchmark bond yield closed at 6.42 per cent. The financial markets will resume trading on Monday. 

The stock markets turned negative on the final day of the week, in which benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty registered losses in three out of four sessions.

During the week, the Sensex lost 87.62 points - or 0.21 per cent - to settle at 41,170.12 and and the Nifty shed 32.6 points - or 0.27 per cent - to shut shop at 12,080.85. (Also Read: How Sensex, Nifty Fared In Holiday-Shortened Week)

Going forward, analysts will closely monitor macroeconomic data for any sign of recovery in the economy, which is staring at its worst rate of annual expansion since the 2008-09 global financial crisis.

The government will release data on GDP or gross domestic product expansion for the October-December period by the end of next week.

In March, both capital and forex markets will remain closed for the Holi festival on the tenth day. The forex markets will remain shut on March 25 as well for the Navaratri festival.