Stock Market LIVE Updates on Sunday, February 1, 2026: GIFT Nifty futures signalled a subdued start for benchmark Indian equity indices on Sunday, as markets open for a special trading session ahead of the Union Budget for the financial year 2026–27 (FY27), to be presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman later today.
As of 7:00 AM, GIFT Nifty futures were trading 4 points lower at 25,420, indicating a flat-to-cautious opening for domestic markets.
Notably, the finance minister is scheduled to present the Union Budget for FY27 in the Lok Sabha at 11:00 AM at Parliament House in New Delhi. Following the budget speech, the budget documents will be tabled in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Market analysts expect the government to strengthen domestic policy reforms to shield the economy from rising uncertainties such as higher US tariffs and geopolitical tensions, while keeping spending in check as tax cuts are set to trim revenues by about ₹1.5 trillion ($16 billion) in the current fiscal year. READ UNION BUDGET 2026 UPDATES LIVE
Ahead of the budget, the Economic Survey 2026–27 was tabled in Parliament on January 29. The annual survey projected India’s GDP growth at 6.8–7.2 per cent in FY27, citing macroeconomic stability. It also placed swadeshi at the centre of a broader shift in the government’s strategic approach. The survey upgraded India’s medium-term potential growth rate to 7 per cent from 6.5 per cent estimated in the FY23 Economic Survey, reflecting the cumulative impact of policy reforms over recent years.
Stock market recap
On a monthly basis, the Nifty slipped 3.1 per cent, marking its worst monthly performance since February 2025, when it had dropped more than 5.8 per cent.
Global markets
On the global front, Wall Street’s major indices closed lower on Friday as investors reacted to US President Donald Trump’s nomination of former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh—widely seen as a hawkish choice—to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Markets also digested corporate earnings and a higher-than-expected inflation reading. The S&P 500 declined 0.43 per cent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.94 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.36 per cent. Markets in the Asia Pacific region ended mostly lower on Friday after Apple flagged rising memory chip costs, while China’s state-run Securities Times cautioned investors against speculative trading. China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.96 per cent, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.65 per cent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 eased 0.09 per cent. South Korea’s KOSPI bucked the broader trend to close marginally higher, up 0.06 per cent.
Commodity corner
Oil prices edged lower on Sunday. WTI crude was trading at $65.21 per barrel, down 0.32 per cent, while Brent crude slipped 0.39 per cent to $69.31 per barrel.