The US stock market is closed for 9 full holidays and has 3 early closing days in 2026. Both the NYSE and NASDAQ follow the same holiday schedule, so if one is closed, the other is too. Knowing these dates in advance helps you plan trades, manage pending orders, and avoid surprises — especially around long weekends when settlement timelines stretch and options expiration dates may shift.
Below is the complete 2026 schedule for market closures, early closes, bond market holidays, and extended trading hours.
Stock Market Holidays 2026
NYSE and NASDAQ holiday schedule
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Day | Market Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | Thursday | Closed |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19 | Monday | Closed |
| Presidents Day | February 16 | Monday | Closed |
| Good Friday | April 3 | Friday | Closed |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday | Closed |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Friday | Closed |
| Independence Day | July 3* | Friday | Closed |
| Labor Day | September 7 | Monday | Closed |
| Thanksgiving | November 26 | Thursday | Closed |
| Christmas | December 25 | Friday | Closed |
*July 4, 2026 falls on Saturday; market closed Friday, July 3
Good Friday is the only non-federal holiday that closes the stock market. Every other closure corresponds to a federal holiday. Note that the stock market stays open on some federal holidays that close banks, most notably Columbus Day and Veterans Day — see the bond market section below for those differences.
When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market closes on Friday. When it falls on a Sunday, the market closes on Monday. In 2026, Independence Day (July 4) falls on a Saturday, so the market closes Friday, July 3 with an early close on Thursday, July 2.
Early Closing Days 2026
Market closes at 1:00 PM ET instead of 4:00 PM ET
| Day | 2026 Date | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Day before Independence Day | July 2 | Independence Day observance |
| Day after Thanksgiving | November 27 | Black Friday |
| Christmas Eve | December 24 | Christmas observance |
Early closing days are not official holidays — the market still opens at 9:30 AM ET, but it shuts down three hours early at 1:00 PM ET. Trading volume on these half-days is typically 40–60% below normal, which means wider bid-ask spreads and less liquidity. If you’re executing larger trades, you may want to plan around these dates. Limit orders are particularly important on low-volume days to avoid unfavorable fills.
The bond market also closes early on these dates, but at 2:00 PM ET (one hour later than stocks). After-hours and pre-market sessions on early-close days are typically shortened or inactive depending on your brokerage.
Monthly Calendar
January 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 (Thu) | Closed - New Year’s Day |
| Jan 19 (Mon) | Closed - MLK Day |
February 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Feb 16 (Mon) | Closed - Presidents Day |
March 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| — | No holidays |
April 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Apr 3 (Fri) | Closed - Good Friday |
May 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| May 25 (Mon) | Closed - Memorial Day |
June 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Jun 19 (Fri) | Closed - Juneteenth |
July 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Jul 2 (Thu) | Early close 1:00 PM ET |
| Jul 3 (Fri) | Closed - Independence Day observed |
August 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| — | No holidays |
September 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (Mon) | Closed - Labor Day |
October 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| — | No holidays |
November 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Nov 26 (Thu) | Closed - Thanksgiving |
| Nov 27 (Fri) | Early close 1:00 PM ET |
December 2026
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| Dec 24 (Thu) | Early close 1:00 PM ET |
| Dec 25 (Fri) | Closed - Christmas |
The longest stretch without a market holiday in 2026 is mid-June through early September — roughly 11 weeks. August has no market holidays at all, making it one of the least interrupted but historically lowest-volume months. Many institutional traders and portfolio managers take vacations in August, which can lead to thinner markets and more volatile price swings on lower-than-normal volume.
Stock Market Hours (Regular Days)
| Exchange | Open | Close | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYSE | 9:30 AM | 4:00 PM | Eastern |
| NASDAQ | 9:30 AM | 4:00 PM | Eastern |
The regular trading session runs 6.5 hours per day, 5 days per week. In 2026, with 9 full closures and 3 early closes (losing 9 hours), there are approximately 251 regular trading days — roughly 1,632 hours of market time.
Extended Hours
| Session | Time (ET) |
|---|---|
| Pre-market | 4:00 AM - 9:30 AM |
| Regular | 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| After-hours | 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
Extended-hours trading is available through most major brokerages, but comes with important caveats. Liquidity is significantly lower — often 5–10% of regular session volume — which means wider spreads and more slippage. Price discovery is less reliable, and large market orders can move prices substantially. Most index funds and mutual funds don’t trade during extended hours at all; only individual stocks and ETFs are available.
Extended hours are most active around earnings announcements (when companies report after the close or before the open) and major economic data releases. If you’re a long-term dollar-cost averaging investor rather than an active trader, extended hours are rarely necessary.
What Happens on Market Holidays?
| Activity | Availability |
|---|---|
| Stock trading | No |
| ETF trading | No |
| Options trading | No |
| Mutual fund orders | Processed next business day |
| Bank transfers (ACH) | May be delayed |
| Wire transfers | May be delayed |
| Crypto trading | Yes (24/7) |
When the stock market is closed, you cannot buy or sell stocks, ETFs, or options on any US exchange. However, you can still place orders through your brokerage account — they’ll queue and execute at market open the next trading day. Be careful with market orders placed over a holiday or weekend: prices can gap up or down at the open, so a limit order gives you more control over your execution price.
Mutual fund orders placed on a holiday are processed at the next business day’s closing NAV (net asset value). If you submit a mutual fund buy order on Thanksgiving Thursday, it executes at Friday’s close (or Monday’s close if Friday is also a holiday or early close).
Bank transfers: ACH transfers don’t process on weekends or federal holidays. If you initiate a transfer to your brokerage on a Wednesday before Thanksgiving, it likely won’t settle until the following Monday or Tuesday. Plan deposits ahead of time if you want funds available for trading after a holiday.
Cryptocurrency markets operate 24/7/365 with no holidays, which is one key structural difference from traditional stock markets. However, crypto liquidity can still drop noticeably during US holidays as fewer American traders are active.
Bond Market Holidays 2026
The bond market (SIFMA-recommended schedule) observes more holidays and early closes than the stock market. This matters if you hold bonds or bond funds — pricing and settlement behave differently on these days.
| Date | Bond Market |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Closed |
| Jan 19 | Closed |
| Feb 16 | Closed |
| Apr 2 | Early close 2:00 PM |
| Apr 3 | Closed |
| May 22 | Early close 2:00 PM |
| May 25 | Closed |
| Jun 19 | Closed |
| Jul 2 | Early close 2:00 PM |
| Jul 3 | Closed |
| Sep 7 | Closed |
| Oct 12 | Closed (Columbus Day)* |
| Nov 11 | Closed (Veterans Day)* |
| Nov 25 | Early close 2:00 PM |
| Nov 26 | Closed |
| Dec 24 | Early close 2:00 PM |
| Dec 25 | Closed |
*Bond market closed; stock market open
The two dates where the bond and stock markets diverge are Columbus Day (October 12) and Veterans Day (November 11). On these days, you can trade stocks normally on the NYSE and NASDAQ, but the bond market is closed. This also means Treasury auctions don’t occur, and bond ETF pricing may be based on stale underlying bond prices. If you’re rebalancing your portfolio with a mix of stocks and bonds, be aware of these mismatched schedules.
Bond market early closes are at 2:00 PM ET (one hour later than stock market early closes at 1:00 PM ET). The bond market also has additional early closes — like the Friday before Memorial Day (May 22) — that don’t affect stocks.
International Market Holidays
If you invest internationally or hold international funds, foreign market closures can affect your portfolio. Major markets have their own holiday schedules, and some have significantly more closure days than the US.
| Country | Unique Holidays |
|---|---|
| UK (LSE) | Boxing Day, Easter Monday, Early May Bank Holiday |
| Japan (TSE) | Golden Week (late April–early May), Emperor’s Birthday |
| China (SSE) | Chinese New Year (week), National Day Golden Week |
| Germany (XETRA) | Various regional holidays, Reformation Day |
| India (BSE/NSE) | Diwali, Holi, Republic Day, multiple regional holidays |
Japan and China each have week-long closures (Golden Week) that can reduce volume in global markets. Chinese New Year typically falls in late January or February and shuts down the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges for about a week. If you hold emerging market ETFs or China-focused funds, NAV calculations during these closures rely on stale prices.
The London Stock Exchange follows UK bank holidays, which don’t always overlap with US holidays. There are several trading days each year where the US is open but the UK is closed (and vice versa), which can affect ADR pricing and liquidity.
Holiday Weekend Effects
Historical Patterns
| Holiday | Typical Market Behavior |
|---|---|
| Pre-holiday | Often positive (traders optimistic) |
| Post-holiday | Mixed |
| Summer holidays | Lower volume |
| Year-end | “Santa Claus Rally” possible |
Research on S&P 500 historical returns shows that the trading day before a market holiday has historically produced slightly above-average returns — a phenomenon known as the “pre-holiday effect.” One theory is that traders close short positions before long weekends, creating upward pressure. However, the effect is small (a few basis points on average) and inconsistent. It is not a reliable trading strategy.
The “Santa Claus Rally” refers to the tendency for stocks to rise during the last five trading days of December and the first two trading days of January. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has risen during this period about 75% of the time, averaging roughly 1.3% gains. But this is a historical observation, not a guarantee — and the effect can be overwhelmed by macro events.
Note: Past patterns don’t predict future results. Long-term investors are generally better served by sticking to a consistent investment strategy rather than trying to trade around holidays.
Settlement Considerations
| Situation | Impact |
|---|---|
| Trade before 3-day weekend | Settlement delayed by one business day |
| Dividends near holiday | Ex-date may shift |
| Options expiration | Still standard schedule |
| Direct deposit / payroll | May arrive a day early |
Stock trades in the US settle on a T+1 basis (one business day after the trade). If you sell a stock on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, it settles on Friday (which is an early-close day but still a business day). If you sell on the Wednesday before a Monday holiday, settlement occurs on Thursday — no delay in that case.
Dividend ex-dates and record dates don’t change because of holidays, but payment dates might. If a company’s regular dividend payment date falls on a market holiday, the payment is typically made on the preceding business day. This is worth noting if you’re tracking dividend income for cash flow purposes.
Options expiration follows its standard schedule regardless of market holidays. Standard monthly options expire on the third Friday of the month. If that Friday is Good Friday (a market closure), the expiration is moved to the preceding Thursday. In 2026, Good Friday falls on April 3 — so April monthly options expire on Thursday, April 2.
Multi-Year Quick Reference
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Jan 1 | Jan 1 |
| MLK Day | Jan 19 | Jan 18 |
| Presidents Day | Feb 16 | Feb 15 |
| Good Friday | Apr 3 | Mar 26 |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | May 31 |
| Juneteenth | Jun 19 | Jun 18* |
| Independence Day | Jul 3 | Jul 5* |
| Labor Day | Sep 7 | Sep 6 |
| Thanksgiving | Nov 26 | Nov 25 |
| Christmas | Dec 25 | Dec 24* |
*Observed date when holiday falls on weekend
Good Friday’s date shifts the most year-to-year because it’s based on the Easter calendar rather than a fixed date or “Nth weekday” formula. It can fall anywhere from late March to mid-April. In 2027, it moves back to March 26 — nearly a week earlier than in 2026.
Related: Stock Market Basics | How to Start Investing | Best Brokerage Accounts | S&P 500 Historical Returns | Dollar-Cost Averaging | Options Basics
Sources
- New York Stock Exchange. “NYSE Holidays and Hours.” nyse.com/markets/hours-calendars
- NASDAQ. “Stock Market Hours & Holidays.” nasdaq.com/market-activity/stock-market-holiday-schedule
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