Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026 on Sunday, February 1, marking only the second time in history that India’s annual fiscal statement arrives on a weekend. The Indian stock market will remain open that day, allowing domestic investors to react immediately to the announcements. This unusual timing has sparked attention, especially regarding its potential impact on Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).

Samir Arora, founder of Helios Capital, shared a sharp observation on social media platform X. He suggested the Sunday Budget session, combined with a potentially market-friendly announcement, could force short-selling FIIs into an uncomfortable position. Arora noted that while domestic players trade in real time, many global FIIs would be offline over the weekend. Any sharp upward move on Sunday would leave them scrambling to cover short positions when markets reopen for them on Monday.

FIIs have long played a major role in driving Indian equity trends, and their selling activity can exert significant downward pressure. The rare weekend Budget presentation reduces their ability to position ahead of key announcements. Arora humorously pointed out that the setup—Sunday Budget plus open markets—already matches the ingredients for what he called a perfect “mess with FIIs” scenario.

Also Read: Stock Market to Remain Open on Sunday, Feb 1 for Union Budget 2026

This will be the second Sunday Budget in India’s fiscal history. The previous instance occurred on February 28, 1999, when Yashwant Sinha presented the Budget under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. That year also introduced the now-standard 11 AM presentation time in Lok Sabha, replacing the traditional 5 PM slot, which itself created considerable market buzz at the time.

The Economic Survey was laid before Parliament on January 29, setting the stage for the upcoming Budget. With markets open on presentation day, Sunday’s proceedings could deliver swift volatility and opportunity, particularly for nimble domestic participants.

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