Bank Holidays 2023: Stock markets, commodity markets and banks across the country are closed today on account of Good Friday. The stock markets had an off for second time during the week after they were shut on Monday on account of Mahavir Jayanti.
The Indian equity benchmarks surged for fifth straight session on Thursday and staged a strong rebound from multi-month lows hit last month on the back of gains in heavyweights like Reliance Industries, HDFC, HDFC Bank, Larsen & Toubro and ITC. In the course of last five trading sessions, the Sensex has surged 2,219 points and Nifty 50 index has gained 647 points or 3.8 per cent.
Bullish business update by the country's largest private lender HDFC Bank helped banking stocks lead the rally on Dalal Street. Meanwhile, the country's most profitable company Reliance Industries announcing that it will hold the meeting to to discuss demerger of its financial services business led to buying in Reliance Industries in turn indicating bullish move for the markets.
Overnight, Wall Street is edging higher Thursday but the S&P 500 remains in the red for the week, heading for its first losing week in the last four, following some discouraging reports on the economy.
The S&P 500 was 0.3 per cent higher in afternoon trading, and it's on pace for a 0.2 per cent loss for the week. The U.S. stock market will be closed Friday in observance of Good Friday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 13 points, or less than 0.1 per cent, at 33,493, as of 12:54 p.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.
Meanwhile, the stock markets will remain closed next Friday (April 14) on account of Dr B R Ambedkar Jayanti and also on May 1 on account of Maharashtra Day.
In total stock markets will remain closed on 15 days during the year on account of various holidays including Diwali, Bakri Id, Independence Day, Ganesh Chaturthi, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra, Gurunanak Jayanti and Christmas.