How to trade on Budget 2026 date: The Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27 will be presented on Sunday, 1st February 2026, i.e. tomorrow. Even though the Indian stock market remains closed on Saturday and Sunday, the NSE and BSE will conduct a special session on Budget 2026. Trading activity on the NSE and BSE will remain available on Sunday from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM, whereas the commodity market will remain open in the morning shift from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. However, traders won’t be able to sell cash-bought stocks on Friday. Likewise, traders won’t be able to sell cash-bought stocks on Sunday during the Monday session.
On Friday, the Indian stock market traded with a weak and cautious bias, retreating from recent highs amid aggressive selling in metal and IT stocks. Mixed cues from overseas markets, along with persistent weakness in the rupee, capped intra-day recovery attempts. Sectoral participation remained selective, with FMCG, healthcare, media, consumer durables, and select PSU banks outperforming, reflecting measured optimism among investors ahead of the Union Budget. Overall, sentiment remained cautious, with market participants balancing pre-Budget positioning against external headwinds.
Budget 2026: Trade setup for the Indian stock market
Unveiling intraday trading strategy on the Budget 2026 date, Santosh Meena, Head of Research at Swastika Investmart, said, “Trading on Budget Day requires extreme caution because it is historically one of the most volatile days for the Indian markets. This intense price action often leads to significant losses for retail traders, as rapid swings can hit stop-losses in either direction before a direction is even established. Since the 2026 Budget falls on a Sunday, market dynamics are unique; institutional investors, who typically provide the liquidity and stability, may be largely absent or inactive. This absence can lead to thinner order books and even more erratic movements driven primarily by retail sentiment.”
Santosh Meena of Swastika Invstmart said that the initial reaction seen during the Sunday special session may be noise, and the market is more likely to provide a clear, sustainable reaction on Monday, once big players have had the chance to fully digest the fine print of the policy changes.
Expecting a range-bound activity in the Nifty 50 and Sensex on the Budget 2026 date, Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research at Kotak Securities, said, “Technically, after a gap down, the market hovered between the 25,200/82,000 to 25,350/82,400 price range throughout the day. The narrow range activity on intraday charts and the small candle on daily charts indicate indecisiveness between the bulls and the bears.”
“We are of the view that as long as the key benchmark indices trade above 25,200/82,000, a positive sentiment is likely to continue. On the higher side, the market could move up to 25,500/82,800. Further upside may also extend, potentially lifting the index up to 25,600-25,675/83,000-83,200. On the flip side, if the market falls below 25,200/82,000, weakness is likely to increase. In such a case, we could see a quick intraday dip down to 25,000-24,900/81,500-81,200,” Shrikant Chouhan of Kotak Securities said.
On the outlook of the Bank Nifty index, Dr Ravi Singh, Chief Research Officer from Master Capital Services, said, “On the downside, the 59,300–59,250 zone remains a crucial support; a decisive break below this range could drag the index toward 58,700. On the upside, 60,000 is a key psychological resistance; sustained strength above it could open the path toward 60,500. Volatility is expected to remain elevated ahead of the upcoming Union Budget 2026.”
Gold, silver rates today
Following the margin-hike trigger on the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), aggressive profit-booking began, leading to a sharp crash in gold and silver prices. The COMEX gold price ended over 11% lower at $4,763.10/oz. Likewise, the COMEX silver price. After closing at $4,763.10 per ounce, the COMEX gold rate today is about 15% below its record high of $5,625.16 per ounce. However, the COMEX silver rate today is more than 31% lower than its lifetime high of $121.755 per ounce.
MCX gold price for April futures ended at ₹1,50,849 per 10 gm, logging an intraday loss of ₹1,496 or 0.98% against the previous day’s close price of ₹1,52,345 per 10 gm. The MCX gold rate today is ₹29,930 away from its lifetime high of ₹1,80,779 per 10 gm.
MCX silver price for March futures ended at ₹2,91,922 per kg, which is ₹1,28,126 or 30.50% away from the record high of ₹4,20,048 per kg.
“The market is expecting an announcement on a reduction in import duty to boost the gems and jewellery business, which is facing a dual hit from soaring gold and silver prices and lower demand. In that case, there can be a sharp decline taking place in gold and silver prices as the MCX will remain open on the Union Budget 2026 date,” said Anuj Gupta, a SEBI-registered commodity expert.
Budget stocks 2026
Regarding the Budget stocks 2026, stock market experts — Sumeet Bagadia, Executive Director at Choice Broking; Ganesh Dongre, Senior Manager of Technical Research at Anand Rathi; and Shiju Koothupalakkal, Senior Manager of Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladher, recommended these eight intraday stocks: Nestle India, GESHIP, BEL, Deepak Fertilisers, Paytm, Cummins India, RailTel, and Cemindia Projects.
Sumeet Bagadia’s stock recommendations
1] Nestle India: Buy at ₹1332, Target ₹1426, Stop Loss ₹1285.
Nestle India’s share price is currently trading at ₹1332 and maintaining a strong upward trajectory. The stock has been forming a series of higher highs and higher lows, indicating sustained bullish momentum. A breakout from the Bullish Flag formation has confirmed a bullish Trend pattern, signalling a transition from accumulation to an upward trend.
2] GESHIP: Buy at ₹1202, Target ₹1286, Stop Loss ₹1160.
GESHIP is currently trading at ₹1202, the stock has recently reached its 52-week high levels of 1266.5 after giving a breakout from a consolidation phase. This bullish formation signals a shift in sentiment and marks the beginning of a potential long-term uptrend. The breakout is accompanied by a noticeable rise in volume, indicating strong market participation and fresh buying interest. The stock remains well-supported above its key moving averages — the 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs — all of which are trending upward.
Ganesh Dongre’s buy or sell stocks
3] BEL: Buy at ₹449, Target ₹462, Stop Loss ₹442.
The stock has been exhibiting a strong and consistent bullish pattern, indicating sustained investor interest and positive price momentum. It is currently trading at ₹449 and has established a solid support base at ₹442. This level has historically acted as a cushion, and recent price action suggests a reversal from it, reinforcing bullish sentiment.
4] Deepak Fertilisers: Buy at ₹1055, Target ₹1100, Stop Loss ₹1020.
The stock has exhibited a strong, notable, and continuous bullish pattern, offering another promising opportunity for short-term traders. With the stock reversing from a support base and showing signs of renewed strength, entering at the current market price with a stop-loss at ₹1020 offers a prudent approach to capturing the anticipated upside.
5] Paytm: Buy at ₹1037, Target ₹1100, Stop Loss ₹1010.
The stock has exhibited a strong, notable, and continuous bullish pattern, offering another promising opportunity for short-term traders.
Shiju Koothupalakkal’s budget stock picks
6] Cummins India: Buy at ₹4112, Target ₹4300, Stop Loss ₹4020.
The stock has recently witnessed a decent correction and has since consolidated near the ₹4000 zone, with support maintained around the ₹3900 level. Currently, this indicates a significant revival and an improvement in the bias, with further rise expected in the coming sessions.
7] RailTel: Buy at ₹353.40, Target ₹375, Stop Loss ₹345.
The stock has recently picked up well, taking support near the ₹325 zone, and has now moved past the important 50-EMA at ₹349, improving the bias and suggesting further upward movement in the coming sessions. The RSI is well-positioned and has indicated a trend reversal, signalling a buy to carry the positive move forward.
8] Cemindia Projects: Buy at ₹639.45, Target ₹677, Stop Loss ₹625.
The stock has recently witnessed significant erosion from the ₹860 level and is currently consolidating near the ₹620 zone, taking support, and has shown signs of improving bias with decent volume participation.
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Key Takeaways
- Budget Day trading is risky; expect significant volatility.
- Institutional investors may be inactive, leading to erratic market movements.
- Key stocks to consider include Nestle India, GESHIP, and BEL, among others.
