Bank Holidays 2020: The stock market, banks, bond market and other financial institutions were closed on Friday on account of Christmas. This was the last bank holiday of the current calendar year. Last month, bank holidays were observed on November 16 for Diwali and on November 30 for Guru Nanak Jayanti. There were 18 bank holidays in calendar year 2020, of which all have been utilized. The first bank holiday of the current calendar year was observed on Republic Day i.e. January 26. Some other bank holidays were on Holi, Rama Navami, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Gandhi Jayanti.
The S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 indexes rose for third session in a row on Thursday, led by gains in Reliance Industries, HDFC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Hindustan Unilever.
The markets witnessed heavy selling pressure on Monday wherein the Sensex and Nifty witnessed their worst single-day selloff in over seven months after the fast-spreading new strain of coronavirus rocked investors' sentiment. However, the markets rebounded strongly in three days that followed. For the week, Sensex and Nifty ended on a flat note after.
The Sensex ended 529 points or 1.14 per cent higher at 46,973.54 and Nifty 50 index climbed 148 points or 1.09 per cent to close at 13,749.25 on Thursday.
Shares of biscuit maker Mrs Bectors Food Specialities more than doubled on debut on Thursday, in the latest sign of strong investor appetite for the country's food sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initial public offering (IPO), which was nearly 200 times oversubscribed, comes days after Burger King India - a company to which Mrs Bectors sells buns - also enjoyed a strong stock market debut.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
