Friday the 13th may carry a 'jinxed' reputation in Western folklore, but for the Indian equity markets, Friday the 13th is just another day at the office.
Indeed, the Indian equity markets have spent the last several years proving that Dalal Street is governed by the laws of economics, not folklore. Known clinically as paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of this date has failed to manifest as a consistent "jinx" for the BSE Sensex or NSE Nifty 50.
Historically, performance on these dates has been a toss-up. In August 2021, the market ignored the calendar entirely to scale fresh all-time highs during a post-pandemic bull run.
Conversely, when markets have dipped—such as the technology-led selloff in February 2026—the catalysts were quantifiable risks like AI-disruption fears or surging crude oil prices rather than a calendar anomaly.
Analysis of exchange data shows that the Indian market actually closed higher in nearly 53% of Friday the 13th sessions over a wider historical set.
A look at the most recent Friday the 13th sessions confirms that macroeconomic drivers, not superstitions, dictate the trend.
March 13, 2026: Markets fell 1% as Brent crude breached $100 per barrel amid West Asia tensions.
Feb. 13, 2026: A 1.3% drop triggered by a global selloff in IT stocks over AI disruption.
June 13, 2025: Indices shed 0.7% following military strikes in the Middle East.
Dec. 13, 2024: A robust 1% gain driven by cooling domestic inflation and rate cut hopes.
Sept. 13, 2024: Flat consolidation; Nifty Midcap index hit a historic 60,000 milestone.
Oct. 13, 2023: A 0.4% decline following new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
Jan. 13, 2023: A sharp 1.4% washout in mid-cap stocks due to broad bearish sentiment.
May 13, 2022: A massive intraday reversal led by blue-chip heavyweights like Reliance.
Aug. 13, 2021: Indices climbed 0.5% to hit record lifetime peaks.
Nov. 13, 2020: A flat session as traders prepared for the auspicious Diwali Muhurat trading.
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