Yes, the stock market is closed on Good Friday

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ are both closed on Good Friday. This is one of the few religious holidays when U.S. stock markets shut down completely. No stocks trade, no bonds trade, and no options trade on that day. If you have a sell order pending or you're waiting to buy shares, those orders will not execute until the market reopens on Monday.

Good Friday falls on a different date each year because it is tied to the lunar calendar. In 2024, it was March 29. In 2025, it will be April 18. The holiday marks the Friday before Easter Sunday in the Christian calendar.

When the market is closed, your brokerage account is still accessible — you can log in, check your holdings, and place orders. But those orders sit in a queue and don't actually execute until the market opens again. If you place a market order (an order to buy or sell at whatever price the market is trading at), it will fill at the opening price on Monday morning, which may be different from Friday's closing price.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ close completely on Good Friday, so no stock trading happens that day.
  • Good Friday occurs on a different date each year, typically in March or April, based on the Easter calendar.
  • Orders you place on Good Friday will not execute until the market reopens on Monday morning.
  • Your brokerage account remains open and accessible on Good Friday, but trades cannot be completed.
  • Market prices can move significantly over a three-day weekend, so Monday's opening price may differ from Friday's close.

Other U.S. Stock Market Holidays

Good Friday is one of eleven days when U.S. stock markets close for the entire trading day. The complete list includes New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Good Friday.

Most of these holidays fall on the same date or the same Monday each year, which makes them easier to plan around. Good Friday is the exception — it moves every year. Some traders mark their calendars with the Easter calendar months in advance so they don't accidentally place orders expecting the market to be open.

What Happens to Your Orders Over the Long Weekend

If you submit a market order on Good Friday afternoon, it will sit in your brokerage's system until Monday morning. When the market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, your order enters the queue with thousands of others. You will not get Friday's closing price — you will get whatever price the stock is trading at when your order is filled, which could be higher or lower.

If you submit a limit order (an order to buy at a specific price or below, or sell at a specific price or above), the same rule applies. Your limit order waits until Monday. If the stock gaps up or down over the weekend — meaning it opens Monday at a price far from where it closed Friday — your limit order might not fill at all, or it might fill at a worse price than you expected.

This is why many traders avoid placing orders late on the Friday before a market holiday. The risk of a gap move over a three-day weekend is higher than over a regular two-day weekend.

How to Plan Around Good Friday

If you know Good Friday is coming and you want to make a trade, do it on Thursday or earlier in the week. This gives you certainty about the price you're paying or receiving. If you wait until Friday afternoon, you are betting that the stock won't move significantly over the weekend — a bet that sometimes loses.

Some traders use the Good Friday closure as a planning tool. If they want to hold a stock over a holiday weekend without watching it, they might sell on Thursday and buy back on Monday. Others hold through the weekend deliberately, accepting the gap risk in exchange for not having to monitor the market.

Your brokerage will not charge you extra for placing an order on Good Friday or for having an order execute on Monday. The closure is a market-wide rule, not a fee structure.

International Stock Markets and Good Friday

Good Friday closures are not universal. The London Stock Exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and most European markets close on Good Friday. However, markets in Asia — including Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai — typically remain open. If you trade international stocks or funds, check your specific exchange's holiday calendar, as the closure dates vary by country and region.

If you own shares in a company that trades on both the NYSE and a foreign exchange, the stock may trade on the foreign exchange on Good Friday while the U.S. market is closed. The price on the foreign exchange may differ from Friday's U.S. closing price, which can create a gap when the U.S. market reopens Monday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell my stocks on Good Friday?

No. The stock market is completely closed on Good Friday, so you cannot buy or sell stocks that day. Any order you place will not execute until Monday morning when the market reopens. If you need to sell before the holiday, place your order on Thursday or earlier in the week.

Will my dividends or interest payments be delayed because of Good Friday?

No. Dividend and interest payment dates are set by the company or bond issuer and do not change because of market holidays. If a dividend is scheduled to pay on Good Friday, you will receive it on that date. The market closure does not affect dividend processing.

What time does the market reopen after Good Friday?

The NYSE and NASDAQ reopen at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday morning. Pre-market trading begins earlier, typically around 4 a.m., but the official market open is 9:30 a.m. Your orders will begin to execute once the market opens.

Do I need to do anything special to prepare for the Good Friday closure?

No special action is required. Your brokerage account will remain open and accessible. If you have pending orders, they will wait until Monday. If you want to avoid gap risk, place any trades you plan to make before Good Friday arrives.

Can I trade mutual funds or ETFs on Good Friday?

Mutual funds and ETFs that track U.S. stocks cannot be traded on Good Friday because they are priced based on the stock market close. Foreign-focused ETFs or bond ETFs may have different rules depending on the underlying assets, so check with your brokerage.