Bali Pratipada Halts Indian Markets, Mixed Trends in Asian Indices

Indian stock markets were closed on Wednesday for Bali Pratipada, with trading set to resume Thursday. The holiday celebrates Lord Vishnu's victory over King Bali. Asian markets showed mixed trends, while India's indices saw modest gains during the Muhurat session on Tuesday, with Nifty closing at 25,868.60.

Indian stock markets observed a halt on Wednesday in observance of Bali Pratipada, a day filled with cultural significance reflecting the victory of Lord Vishnu's Vamana avatar over the benevolent demon king Bali. According to the National Stock Exchange's holiday calendar, markets will reopen on Thursday.

Asian stock markets exhibited a mixed performance on Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 saw a decline of 0.4%, while Singapore's Straits Times gained 0.25%. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.82%, Taiwan's Weighted Index decreased by 0.53%, and South Korea's KOSPI was up by 0.23%.

During the previous Muhurat Trading session on Tuesday marking the start of Samvat 2082, Indian markets, including the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange, experienced slight upward movement. The Nifty concluded at 25,868.60 and the Sensex at 84,426.34, showing marginal gains. Cipla and Bajaj Finserv were among top gainers, while sectoral indices mostly ended in positive territory.

(With inputs from agencies.)