The stock market is closed on Thanksgiving Day and the day after (Black Friday), but opens normally on Saturday if that date falls on a weekend

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ do not trade on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Both markets observe these as official holidays. If Black Friday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the market is already closed for the weekend, so the closure extends into the following Monday in some years. The bond market also closes on both days.

This means if you want to buy or sell stocks around the Thanksgiving holiday, your last trading day is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and your next trading day is the Monday after Black Friday. Any orders you place on Thursday, Friday, or over the weekend will not execute until the market reopens.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ close on both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, regardless of which day of the week Black Friday falls on.
  • Your final note to trade before the holiday is Wednesday before Thanksgiving; trading resumes the Monday after Black Friday.
  • Limit orders and stop-loss orders placed over the holiday weekend will not execute until the market reopens on Monday.
  • The bond market follows the same holiday schedule as the stock market for these two days.

When the market closes around Thanksgiving

The stock market closes for a full day on Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November) and a full day on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). This is a standing holiday closure, not dependent on which day of the week either date falls on.

In years when Black Friday lands on a Saturday, the market is already closed for the weekend, so there is no additional trading disruption. In years when Black Friday lands on a Sunday, the market is also already closed. When Black Friday lands on a weekday (Monday through Friday), that entire day is a market holiday.

The market operates on a standard schedule the rest of the year: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on the day before Christmas if that day is a weekday.

What happens to orders placed during the holiday

If you place a market order (an order to buy or sell when ready at the current price) while the market is closed, it will not execute. The order will sit in your brokerage account until the market reopens on Monday morning.

Limit orders and stop-loss orders work the same way. A limit order to buy at a specific price, or a stop-loss order to sell if the price drops to a certain level, will not trigger while the market is closed. If the stock price moves during the weekend or holiday, your order may execute at a different price than you expected when the market reopens, or it may not execute at all if the price never reaches your target.

Some brokerages allow you to place orders during after-hours trading (typically 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern), but after-hours trading has lower volume and wider bid-ask spreads, meaning the price you pay or receive may be less favorable than during regular hours.

How to plan trades around the Thanksgiving holiday

If you know you want to make a trade before the Thanksgiving break, place it on Wednesday before Thanksgiving during regular market hours. This gives you certainty that your order will execute at a price you can see in real time.

If you want to avoid holding a position over the holiday weekend, sell on Wednesday. If you want to enter a position before the market closes for the holiday, buy on Wednesday. Waiting until Thursday or Friday means you cannot trade until Monday.

If you use limit orders or stop-loss orders, remember that they will not protect you or execute your trade while the market is closed. A stock price can move significantly over a three-day weekend, and your stop-loss order will not trigger until the market reopens on Monday morning — by which time the price may have moved past your stop level.

Other market holidays that affect trading

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are not the only days the stock market closes. The NYSE and NASDAQ also close on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Christmas.

The market also closes early (at 1:00 p.m. Eastern) on the day before Thanksgiving if that day is a weekday, and on the day before Christmas if that day is a weekday. These early closures are less common than full-day closures but still affect your ability to trade in the afternoon.

Your brokerage website or the NYSE website lists the full holiday calendar each year. Checking this calendar before you plan a trade can help you avoid placing an order on a day when the market is closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade stocks on Black Friday if I use a brokerage app?

No. The stock market itself is closed on Black Friday, so no brokerage — whether online, mobile, or traditional — can execute a trade on that day. You may be able to place an order through your app, but it will not execute until the market reopens on Monday.

What if I place a stop-loss order before the holiday and the stock crashes over the weekend?

Your stop-loss order will not execute until the market reopens on Monday. If the stock price has already fallen below your stop level by the time the market opens, your order may execute at a much lower price than you expected, or it may not execute at all if the price has moved even further down.

Does the bond market have the same holiday schedule as the stock market?

Yes. The bond market closes on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, just like the stock market. Treasury bonds, corporate bonds, and municipal bonds cannot be traded on these days.

Can I trade on the day before Thanksgiving?

Yes, but the market closes early. The NYSE and NASDAQ close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. You can trade during regular hours (9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern) on that day.