New stock market timings kick in from August 3: Here's how your trades could be affected

Sebi will introduce a Closing Auction Session for eligible F&O stocks effective August 3, 2026, replacing the existing VWAP-based closing price methodology. Under the new system, cash trading in F&O stocks ends at 3:15 PM followed by a closing auction until 3:35 PM, while stock and index derivatives extend to 3:40 PM, with a post-close session running from 3:50 PM to 4:00 PM. The change aims to improve price discovery and transparency by matching all eligible orders at a single equilibrium price, bringing Indian markets closer to global exchanges such as NYSE and LSE.