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Muhurat Trading 2025 Closing Bell: The Diwali Muhurat Trading 2025 session, a symbolic and auspicious start to Samvat 2082, ended on a steady note, reflecting a balanced mix of optimism and caution among investors. For the first time in decades, both the NSE and BSE conducted a one-hour special session in the afternoon slot (1:45 pm to 2:45 pm) on October 21.

Traditionally seen as a time to mark new beginnings, Muhurat trading blends faith with finance, with investors buying stocks as a symbol of prosperity. Historically, the Nifty has closed higher in nearly 80 per cent of Muhurat sessions, and experts expect midcap and PSU bank stocks to lead the rally in Samvat 2082.

At the close, the BSE Sensex settled at 84,426.34, up 62.97 points (0.07 per cent), while the NSE Nifty 50 finished at 25,868.60, up 25.45 points (0.10 per cent).

The broader market showed mixed sentiment, Nifty Midcap 50 slipped 0.12 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 and Nifty Microcap 250 gained 0.43 per cent and 0.98 per cent, respectively, indicating continued investor appetite for smaller and mid-sized companies.

Among Sensex gainers, Bajaj Finserv (+1.11 per cent), Infosys (+0.68 per cent), Axis Bank (+0.64 per cent), and Tata Steel (+0.44 per cent) led the charge. Power Grid, Bajaj Finance, L&T, and Adani Ports also ended in the green, reflecting sectoral strength in infrastructure and finance.

On the downside, heavyweight counters such as Reliance Industries (-0.38 per cent), TCS (-0.43 per cent), Maruti Suzuki (-0.53 per cent), and Kotak Mahindra Bank (-1.05 per cent) weighed on the benchmarks. FMCG stocks like ITC (-0.11 per cent) and Hindustan Unilever (-0.19 per cent) also saw mild profit-booking.

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Sectorally, the performance remained subdued with a positive bias. Nifty Metal (+0.31 per cent), Nifty Pharma (+0.17 per cent), and Nifty Energy (+0.12 per cent) gained marginally, while Nifty Bank (-0.24 per cent), Nifty Realty (-0.26 per cent), and Nifty FMCG (-0.11 per cent) saw declines.

Notably, Nifty Media outperformed, climbing 0.60 per cent, driven by renewed investor interest in consumption-linked themes.

Brokerages and experts see a constructive start to the new Samvat year, expecting midcaps, PSU banks, and industrials to lead the next leg of growth. Stocks like ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, Adani Ports, and M&M remain among the top Diwali picks for long-term investors.

Anubhav Maurya is a Senior Sub-Editor at Zee Business, focusing on the stock market, personal finance, corporate news, and related sectors.

He has previously worked wi