Equity market investors are expected to monitor global trends, foreign fund movements, and quarterly earnings in a holiday-shortened week ahead, analysts indicated.
Stock exchanges BSE and NSE will hold a special Muhurat trading session on Tuesday, October 21. This symbolic trading session is scheduled from 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM. While the market will be closed for regular trading on Tuesday, a special trading window will be available for one hour.
Equity markets will also be closed on Wednesday for Diwali Balipratipada. Ajit Mishra, Senior Vice President of Research at Religare Broking Ltd, stated, “The truncated trading week will be event-heavy, with several key triggers lined up for investors. Market participants will initially respond to quarterly earnings from major players such as Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank, which are likely to set the broader market’s tone.”
The one-hour Diwali special Muhurat trading session on October 21, marking the beginning of Samvat 2082, will be closely monitored for sentiment cues and festive optimism, Mishra noted. The Q2 FY26 earnings season will remain active, with major companies like Colgate, Hindustan Unilever, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and SBI Life Insurance Company set to report their results.
Globally, developments regarding potential US tariffs on China, along with fluctuations in crude oil prices and currency movements, will continue to be crucial in influencing global risk appetite and investor sentiment, according to Mishra. After consistently withdrawing funds for the past three months, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have recently become net buyers, investing Rs 6,480 crore in October thus far, aided by positive macroeconomic indicators.
Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst at Swastika Investmart, remarked that upcoming results from Hindustan Unilever and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories are expected to further set the corporate earnings season’s tone. “Any relief on US-China trade tensions could enhance market sentiments,” he added.
In the preceding week, the BSE benchmark rose by 1,451.37 points, or 1.75 percent, while the Nifty gained 424.5 points, or 1.67 percent. Ponmudi R., CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, noted, “The optimistic investor sentiment was evident across sectors last week, as Indian equities once again defied global headwinds to reach new 52-week highs.” He emphasized that domestic benchmarks stayed resilient amid ongoing volatility in global markets, driven by renewed trade tensions, banking stress in the US, and significant commodity fluctuations, supported by strong liquidity and steadfast investor confidence.
Published on October 19, 2025.
