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Indian equity markets began Monday, 9 February 2026 on a confident note. The Nifty 50 opened at 25,888.70, up 0.76%, while the Bank Nifty started at 60,805.20, advancing 1.14%. The positive start reflects improving investor sentiment backed by supportive global markets and renewed strength in heavyweight banking stocks.
A firm opening after recent consolidation signals that buyers are willing to accumulate at current levels. However, sustaining these gains will depend on intraday participation from FIIs, sector rotation, and news flow through the session.
The standout performer on 9 Feb 2026 has been the banking pack. Private sector lenders and select PSU banks attracted strong buying, supported by expectations of steady credit growth and healthy asset quality. Stability in bond yields further aided sentiment.
Asian peers traded with a positive bias following a stable close on Wall Street. Cooling concerns around global inflation and steady crude prices provided comfort to emerging markets, including India.
Consistent SIP inflows and buying from domestic institutions continue to act as shock absorbers. This structural liquidity has helped benchmarks defend key levels despite intermittent volatility.
The market breadth remained positive in the first hour, indicating participation beyond index heavyweights.
Traders should track India VIX, FII futures data, and the rupee for directional confirmation.
For long-term investors, today’s opening is a reminder to stay aligned with quality businesses rather than chase intraday excitement. Systematic investors benefit the most from such phases when markets reward discipline over speculation.
Short-term traders must respect risk management as gap-up sessions often witness mid-day profit booking.
Indian markets function within SEBI’s robust regulatory framework with transparent settlement and risk systems. Healthy GST collections, stable inflation trajectory, and improving corporate earnings continue to provide a strong base for equities in 2026.
Platforms that combine technology with credible research give investors a clear edge in such market conditions. Swastika Investmart’s SEBI-registered research, smart trading tools, and investor-first approach help navigate days like today with confidence.
1. How did markets open on 9 Feb 2026?
Nifty 50 opened at 25,888.70 (+0.76%) and Bank Nifty at 60,805.20 (+1.14%).
2. Which sector led the rally today?
Banking and financial services were the top contributors.
3. Is today’s gap-up a bullish signal?
It is positive, but follow-through volumes are necessary for confirmation.
4. What should beginners do on such days?
Avoid impulsive trades and rely on research-backed decisions.
The 9 February 2026 market opening sets an optimistic tone with banking strength driving benchmarks higher. Whether you are a trader or investor, decisions anchored in research and discipline remain the real differentiator.
Start your investment journey with a trusted, tech-enabled partner.
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The world of finance can be confusing, especially when it comes to terms like Securities Transaction Tax (STT). But don't worry! This blog will make STT simple. Let's explore what it is, how it works, why it's there, and what it means for you as an investor.
STT is a tax imposed by the government on the buying and selling of securities like stocks, derivatives, and certain mutual funds. Whenever you make a transaction in the stock market, a small percentage of the transaction value is collected as STT. The tax is levied at a predetermined rate, expressed as a percentage of the transaction value, and is applicable to both the buyer and the seller.
STT operates as a transaction-based tax, meaning it is triggered with every buy or sell order executed in the market. The tax rate varies based on the type of security being traded and the nature of the transaction—whether it involves delivery (holding securities beyond a specified period) or intraday trading (buying and selling within the same trading day). For instance, equity delivery trades typically attract a different STT rate compared to intraday trades. In other words STT is calculated based on the type of security you're trading and whether it's a buy or sell transaction. The rates may vary, but the idea remains the same: a little slice of your transaction goes to the government.
The primary goal of STT is twofold. Firstly, it's a way for the government to collect revenue. Secondly, it acts as a measure to regulate the stock market. By imposing a tax on transactions, especially on short-term trades, it aims to discourage excessive speculation and promote more stable, long-term investments.
The introduction of STT serves several purposes, primarily driven by governmental and regulatory objectives:
For investors, STT adds a small cost to each transaction. While it may seem like pennies at a time, it can add up, especially for frequent traders. However, it's also a transparent tax, clearly stated on your transaction records, making it easy to keep track of.
For investors participating in the securities market, STT carries both direct and indirect implications:
STT may sound intimidating at first, but it's simply a tax on stock market transactions. It serves the dual purpose of revenue generation for the government and regulating market behavior. So, the next time you see STT mentioned, just remember: it's a small fee for playing in the stock market sandbox.
In the world of finance, there are many terms that can sound intimidating to beginners. "Rollover" is one such term that might seem confusing at first glance. However, once you understand what it means, it's actually quite simple. In this blog post, we'll break down the concept of rollover in the stock market.
Rollover in the stock market refers to the process of extending the expiration date of an investment position. This typically applies to futures contracts, options, and certain other derivative instruments. Let's delve into each of these to understand rollover better:
In futures trading, investors agree to buy or sell a particular asset at a predetermined price on a specified future date. However, not all investors intend to take physical delivery of the underlying asset. Instead, they may choose to close out their position before the contract expires by offsetting their initial position with an opposite position (buying back what they sold or selling what they bought).
Rollover occurs when an investor extends the expiration date of their futures contract by closing out their current position and simultaneously opening a new position with a later expiration date. This allows investors to maintain exposure to the underlying asset without actually taking delivery.
Options contracts give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a predetermined price (strike price) within a specified period. Like futures contracts, options contracts have expiration dates.
When an options holder decides to extend the expiration date of their contract, they can engage in a rollover. This involves closing out their existing position and opening a new position with a later expiration date.
Investors might choose to rollover their positions for several reasons:
Rollover is a common practice in the stock market, particularly in futures and options trading. It allows investors to extend the expiration date of their positions, providing flexibility and strategic options. By understanding the concept of rollover, investors can better manage their investments and adapt to evolving market conditions.
Are you interested in growing your wealth but find traditional investment methods difficult? If so, then a mutual fund might be the perfect solution for you.
A mutual fund is a type of investment that pools money from many investors and invests it in a variety of assets, like stocks and bonds. A professional manager, then uses that money to buy different investments on behalf of all the contributors (investors) like you. This approach allows you to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of investments without having to pick individual stocks or bonds yourself.
OTM stands for One Time Mandate in mutual funds. It's a one-time registration process where you allow your bank to deduct a certain amount from your savings account for investing in a specific mutual fund scheme.
One Time Mandate (OTM) in mutual funds covers the following transactions:
You can use your bank account to make payments for lump-sum investments. The amount will be debited based on the fixed limit set in your OTM form.
You can start new SIPs through the OTM service. There's no need to provide bank details or a canceled cheque again.
Duration of OTM: You can set up an OTM for a specific period, like five years, or keep it active until you decide to cancel it.
Overall, OTM is a convenient way to invest in mutual funds regularly and grow your money over time.
Once you set up an OTM, your bank will deduct the specified amount from your account based on requests from the mutual fund company. These requests come from investors like you who want to invest in the mutual fund scheme. This eliminates the need for manual payments every time you want to invest.
To register for a One Time Mandate (OTM), the process is straightforward. Follow these steps:
After submitting the form, the bank will process your request. Once approved, you can start using the OTM facility for mutual fund investments.
Contact your bank. They will provide you with an OTM form to fill out. The form will ask for your personal information, bank details, and investment preferences.
OTM is a secure process because it involves your bank and a registered mutual fund company.
Yes, you can cancel OTM at any time by contacting your bank.
Your folio number is your unique identification number for your mutual fund investment. You can find it in your account statements or by contacting the mutual fund company.
OTM simplifies mutual fund investing by automating transactions, making it a hassle-free and paperless process. It ensures disciplined investing without the need for repeated manual payments, ultimately helping investors build wealth efficiently over time.
Short selling is like betting that the price of something will drop. They borrow shares from a broker and sell them right away at the current price. They hope the stock price drops so they can buy back the shares at a lower price. Then, they return the borrowed shares to the broker and keep the difference between the selling and buying prices.
Imagine borrowing a toy from a friend to sell it to someone else. You hope that by the time you have to give the toy back to your friend, its price will be lower, so you can buy it for less and return it. Short-sellers do this with stocks or other investments. They borrow them, sell them to someone else, and hope the price goes down so they can buy them back cheaper and return them. This is different from regular investors who want the price to go up.
To short sell, you'll need to open a margin account with a brokerage firm. Once you have an account, you can place a short sell order for the desired stock through your broker's trading platform.
Some regulations may limit short selling, especially during times of market volatility. Additionally, not all stocks are available for short selling, as it depends on the availability of shares to borrow.
In finance, The efficiency or convenience with which a security or asset can be turned into quick cash without negatively impacting its market price is referred to as liquidity.
High liquidity means it's easy to turn an asset into cash at its expected value or market price. Low liquidity means there aren't many chances to buy and sell, making assets hard to trade.
Cash is the most liquid asset, followed by stocks, bonds, and real estate, which vary in their liquidity levels. Cash can be readily spent or invested, while stocks and bonds can be sold quickly. Real estate, however, takes longer to sell due to its illiquidity.
Well, it's all about how easy it is to buy and sell stocks without affecting their prices too much. Higher liquidity stocks will have a sufficient number of outstanding shares as well as a suitable supply and demand. It's the quantity of consumers and sellers that are present in a market, to put it simply.
But smaller companies, especially those traded on smaller exchanges, can be trickier. They're not traded as much, so there's a bigger gap between what buyers are offering and what sellers want. When more people suddenly want to buy or sell these stocks, their prices can swing wildly. That's the basic idea of liquidity in the stock market.
Liquidity is likewise important for investors, as it influences the price they will pay when purchasing stocks or ETFs and Stock liquidity is crucial since it dictates how soon you can enter or exit a trade. High liquidity also means lesser risk because there is a greater chance that someone will take the opposite position in the transaction.
For businesses, understanding their liquid assets is important as these funds are required to settle any pending bills or debts. To figure out if a company or person has enough cash to pay their bills, you can compare their assets to their debts. If their assets are higher, they're solvent, which means they can pay their debts and still have some cash left over.
Conversely, greater market liquidity is a feature of the stock market. A buyer's bid price (the price per share) and a seller's ask price (the price they are willing to accept) will be quite close to each other if an exchange has a significant volume of transaction that is not dominated by selling.
For example, big stock exchanges usually have lots of trading and small price differences between buying and selling, making them easy to buy and sell in. On the other hand, some markets outside exchanges might have less trading and bigger price differences, making them harder to trade in quickly.
Liquidity refers to how easily an asset can be converted into cash without impacting its price. In the stock market, higher liquidity means smoother trading with minimal price fluctuations, while lower liquidity can lead to volatility and wider bid-ask spreads. Investors can identify liquid stocks by looking at trading volume, bid-ask spread, and market depth. Liquidity is crucial for both investors and businesses, affecting trade execution, financial stability, and risk management.
Imagine you're a farmer growing wheat, and you're worried about the price of wheat dropping by the time you harvest it. You want to protect yourself from losing money if the price goes down. So, you make a deal with a buyer to sell your wheat at a fixed price in the future, say 6 months from now. This way, even if the market price of wheat drops, you're still guaranteed to sell your wheat at the agreed-upon price.
Hedging in the stock market refers to a risk management strategy that is used by investors to lower the potential losses that results from unfavourable price movements.
Stock market hedging helps investors reduce risk by using options, futures, or swaps. This can be done on stocks, indexes, bonds, and even commodities.
Hedging works by taking an opposite position in a related investment. For example the main Investment could be the stock, bond, commodity etc. you already own that you want to protect from price movements. For this the Hedging Position would be a new investment you make that will benefit you if the main investment loses its value, and vice versa.
In the above example here's how hedging can help:
Another common example of hedging in the stock market involves using put options to protect yourself from a decline in a stock's price. Here's how it works:
Imagine you buy put options with a strike price of ₹90 and an expiry date in 3 months. Here's what could happen:
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