Let’s cut right to the chase. You probably want to know if you can trade stocks right now, and you don’t have time for a wild goose chase across the internet. I get it.
For over 25 years, as a financial planner, I’ve seen investors lose more sleep over whether the market is open than they do over their actual investments.
So, let’s clear up the confusion for good. This isn’t just a list of dates; this is your definitive guide to the U.S. stock market’s schedule, so you can act with confidence and stop wondering.
Key Takeaways Ahead
U.S. Stock Market Hours: Open or Closed Right Now?
The standard trading hours for the major U.S. stock exchanges (that’s the New York Stock Exchange NYSE and the Nasdaq) are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on weekdays.
Core trading simply does not happen on Saturdays or Sundays.
If you’re ever wondering why an order you placed on a Sunday night is still “pending” on Monday morning, that’s the reason. It’s a fundamental rule for anyone learning how to start a Roth IRA and placing their first trades.
When is the Stock Market Closed? 2025 Holiday Schedule
Both the NYSE and Nasdaq observe the following U.S. holidays. On these dates, the market is completely closed for the full day. There is no pre-market or after-hours trading.
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Wednesday, January 1 |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday, January 20 |
| Washington’s Birthday | Monday, February 17 |
| Good Friday | Friday, April 18 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 26 |
| Juneteenth | Thursday, June 19 |
| Independence Day | Friday, July 4 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 1 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 27 |
| Christmas Day | Thursday, December 25 |
Looking Ahead: 2026 Stock Market Holiday Schedule
Smart investors plan ahead. Whether you’re timing a contribution or just managing your portfolio, knowing next year’s schedule is a strategic advantage. Here are the official market holidays for 2026.
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, January 1 |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday, January 19 |
| Washington’s Birthday | Monday, February 16 |
| Good Friday | Friday, April 3 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25 |
| Juneteenth | Friday, June 19 |
| Independence Day | Friday, July 3 (Observed) |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 7 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 |
Stock Market Early Closures: 2025 & 2026 Half-Day Schedule
Ignoring these 1 p.m. closures is one of the most common mistakes I see occasional traders make. They assume they have until 4 p.m. to act on news, only to find the market is already closed. Always double-check the schedule on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
2025 Early Closure Days:
- Day before Independence Day: Thursday, July 3, 2025
- Day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday): Friday, November 28, 2025
- Christmas Eve: Wednesday, December 24, 2025
2026 Early Closure Days:
- Day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday): Friday, November 27, 2026
- Christmas Eve: Thursday, December 24, 2026
What Are Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading Sessions?
You’ve probably seen news about a stock soaring or plunging “in after-hours trading” and felt like you were missing out. These are sessions outside the core 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET window. Pre-market can start as early as 4:00 a.m. ET, and after-hours can run until 8:00 p.m. ET.
However, this arena comes with higher risks. It’s dominated by institutional investors and is characterized by a few key concepts:
- Lower Liquidity: There are simply fewer buyers and sellers, which means it can be harder to execute a trade at a fair price.
- Higher Volatility: With fewer participants, prices can swing dramatically on small trades.
- Wider Bid-Ask Spread: This is the gap between what buyers are willing to pay and what sellers are asking for. In extended hours, this gap widens, meaning your automatic “buy” price is higher and your “sell” price is lower.
For most people, attempting to play in these sessions is a classic case of trying to time the market. As decades of data have shown, time in the market beats timing the market nearly every time. These extended hours are facilitated by Electronic Communication Networks (ECNs) that match buy and sell orders directly between traders.
What Happens When a Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
This one is refreshingly simple. If a market holiday falls on a weekend, the exchanges follow the standard federal government schedule.
- Rule for Saturday Holidays: The market closes on the preceding Friday. You can see this in 2026, when Independence Day (July 4th) is on a Saturday, and the market closes on Friday, July 3rd.
- Rule for Sunday Holidays: The market closes on the following Monday.
Are Bond Market Holidays Different from Stock Market Holidays?
Yes, and this is a critical distinction for anyone with a diversified portfolio. The U.S. bond market has more closing days than the stock market.
The schedule for the bond market is guided by recommendations from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), a trade association for broker-dealers, investment banks, and asset managers.
Think of SIFMA as the coordinator for the bond market. It issues recommendations for holiday and early closures to ensure that the banks and institutions that trade bonds are all on the same page. While the NYSE and Nasdaq set their own stock trading schedules, the bond world looks to SIFMA for guidance.
While the stock market is open, the bond market is fully closed on:
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
SIFMA also recommends more early closures for bonds than the stock market. This is a key reason why a balanced asset allocation guide must account for the unique schedules of different asset classes.
A Saturday holiday means the market closes the Friday before. A Sunday holiday means the market closes the Monday after. This ensures that market participants still get a three-day weekend for major holidays.
Common Questions About Stock Market Hours
Let’s tackle some of the most common questions I’ve heard over the years.
Q: What happens if I place a trade on a weekend or holiday?
A: Your order is queued. This means your broker holds the trade and submits it the moment the market next opens. Be warned: news and events can happen overnight, so the price when the market opens could be significantly different from the price you saw when you placed your order. This is known as “price slippage.”
Q: Is the stock market open on Columbus Day or Veterans Day?
A: To be crystal clear: Yes, the U.S. stock market (NYSE and Nasdaq) is open for business on Columbus Day and Veterans Day. The bond market, however, is closed.
Q: Are international stock markets open when the U.S. market is closed?
A: Absolutely. Major international exchanges like the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), and Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) all have their own holiday schedules. This overlap creates a nearly 24-hour global trading environment that influences U.S. market openings.
Q: Does the stock market close for elections?
A: No, the U.S. stock exchanges do not close for U.S. presidential or midterm elections. While market volatility can certainly increase around these events, trading continues as normal.
Q: What time zone are stock market hours in?
A: All standard hours are in Eastern Time (ET). This is a frequent point of confusion.
If you’re in the Central Time zone (e.g., Chicago), the market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
If you’re in the Mountain Time zone (e.g., Denver), it’s 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
If you’re in the Pacific Time zone (e.g., Los Angeles), the market opens at a brisk 6:30 a.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m.
Your financial journey is built on a foundation of clear, confident decisions. Knowing the market’s schedule is a simple but powerful piece of that foundation. Bookmark this guide, and you’ll never have to second-guess whether the market is open again.
- Sharing the article with your friends on social media – and like and follow us there as well.
- Sign up for the FREE personal finance newsletter, and never miss anything again.
- Take a look around the site for other articles that you may enjoy.
Note: The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or legal advice. Consult with a professional advisor or accountant for personalized guidance.
