Domestic stock markets will remain open on February 1, the day Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget in Parliament, despite it being a Saturday. Trading will be conduced regularly for the entire session just like any other weekday on February 1, 2020. Typically, the Budget presentation day is marked by big swings in the equity markets as investors try to make sense of the various budgetary announcements. Since the last Union Budget presentation in July 2019, the S&P BSE Sensex benchmark index has risen more than 4 per cent so far. Analysts say volatility in the markets especially on the Budget day cannot be ruled out as the government may unveil more measures to lift economic growth which is estimated to hit an 11-year low in the year to March 2020.
Here’s how the markets have reacted to Budget announcements in recent years:

July 5, 2019
On July 5, 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government after its return to power in general elections held in May. The Sensex fell as much as 1.17 per cent during the session before ending 0.99 per cent lower for the day. That was followed by a further 2.01 per cent drop in the index on the next day.
February 1, 2019
On February 1, 2019, then finance minister Piyush Goyal presented the last Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term. The Sensex jumped 1.44 per cent during the session before ending 0.59 per cent higher for the day. The index continued to rise for the next three days, a period in which it added 505.8 points (1.39 per cent).
February 1, 2018
On February 1, 2018, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his last Union Budget. That led to wild movement in the markets, with the Sensex ending 0.16 per cent lower after dropping 1.29 per cent during the session. The index declined 2.33 per cent the next day, and another 2.81 per cent in the following three sessions.
February 1, 2017
On February 1, 2017, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget for 2017-18. The Sensex on that day jumped as much as 1.82 per cent (503.58 points) before ending the session with a gain of 1.76 per cent. The Sensex added to those gains by rising a total 1.06 per cent in the next three sessions.
February 29, 2016
The Budget presentation on February 29, 2016 by then finance minister Arun Jaitley dragged the Sensex 2.85 per cent lower during the session, before the index recovered most of those losses by the end of the session. The markets rose for the next six sessions in a row, a period during which the Sensex added 1,791.96 points (7.79 per cent).
February 28, 2015
The first full-year Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government led to a 0.48 per cent rise in the Sensex after a volatile session. That was followed by two days of gain in which the index climbed up 0.79 per cent.
July 10, 2014
On July 10, 2014, after then finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the first budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, the Sensex recovered most of the day’s losses to end 0.28 per cent lower after dropping as much as 1.29 per cent during the session. That was followed by two days of losses in which the benchmark index fell another 1.44 per cent, and eight subsequent days of gains in which it soared 5.06 per cent (1,264.87 points).
February 17, 2014
On February 17, 2014, the presentation of interim Budget by then finance minister P Chidambaram – the last Budget before the 2014 general elections – pushed the Sensex 0.62 per cent higher in intra-day trade. The index ended the session with a gain of 0.48 per cent, which was followed by two consecutive days of gain in which the Sensex rose 1.26 per cent.
February 28, 2013
The presentation of Union Budget 2013-14 by then finance minister P Chidambaram pulled the Sensex 1.87 per cent lower during the session, before the index trimmed some of those losses to settle with a loss of 1.52 per cent for the day.
March 16, 2012
The Sensex benchmark index dropped 1.19 per cent on March 16, 2012 after then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the seventh Union Budget of his career, and another 1.1 per cent the next day.
