The stock market is closed on Columbus Day

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ both close on Columbus Day, which falls on the second Monday of October each year. This means you cannot place trades, and market prices do not move on that day. If you have a pending order set to execute on Columbus Day, it will not go through until the market reopens on Tuesday.

The closure applies to all U.S. stock exchanges and most bond markets. Futures markets and cryptocurrency exchanges operate on their own schedules and may remain open, but traditional stock trading halts completely.

Columbus Day is one of nine federal holidays when the stock market closes. The others are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ close on Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, and no stock trades execute that day.
  • Any buy or sell orders you place before the close on Friday will wait until Tuesday to execute, unless you cancel them.
  • Bond markets also close, but futures and cryptocurrency markets may remain open depending on the exchange.
  • If you need to trade on a day near Columbus Day, check your brokerage's holiday calendar to confirm market hours.

What happens to pending orders over the Columbus Day weekend

If you place a market order (an order to buy or sell at the current price) on Friday before the close, and the market is closed Monday, your order sits in the system until Tuesday morning. When the market opens Tuesday, your order executes at whatever the opening price is — which may be different from Friday's closing price.

Limit orders (orders that execute only at a specific price or better) also wait until Tuesday. If the stock gaps past your limit price on Tuesday morning — meaning it opens higher than your buy limit or lower than your sell limit — your order may not execute at all that day.

You can cancel any pending order at any time before it executes. Log into your brokerage account and look for the "pending orders" or "open orders" section. If you want to avoid the uncertainty of a gap move on Tuesday morning, cancel your Friday order and place a new one after the market opens Tuesday.

How to check if your brokerage is open on Columbus Day

Most major brokerages — Fidelity, Charles Schwab, E-Trade, Vanguard, and others — follow the NYSE holiday calendar and close on Columbus Day. However, some brokerages that cater to international traders or offer extended hours may have different policies.

The fastest way to confirm is to log into your account and look for the "market hours" or "holiday calendar" link, usually in the Help or Account Settings section. You can also call your brokerage's customer service line — they stay open even when markets are closed — and ask directly.

If you use a robo-advisor or automated investment service, your regular contributions may still process on Columbus Day, but they will not buy or sell stocks until Tuesday morning when the market reopens.

Planning trades around Columbus Day

If you know you want to trade near Columbus Day, place your orders on Friday before the market close. This gives you control over the price and timing. If you wait until Tuesday, you may face higher volatility as other traders react to weekend news or earnings reports released while markets were closed.

For longer-term investors who use dollar-cost averaging (investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule), Columbus Day is usually not a concern. Your regular investment will straightforward execute on the next trading day, and the one-day delay has minimal impact over months or years.

If you are day trading or making short-term moves, avoid placing orders on Friday afternoon if you are not comfortable with the gap risk on Tuesday morning. Wait until Tuesday to see the opening price and place your order then.

Bond market and Treasury closures on Columbus Day

The bond market, including U.S. Treasury bonds, also closes on Columbus Day. If you hold bonds or Treasury securities, you cannot trade them on that day. The Federal Reserve also does not conduct open market operations on federal holidays.

If you have a bond maturing on Columbus Day, the payment will still arrive, but it may arrive on Tuesday instead. Check with your bond issuer or custodian if you are unsure about the exact payment date.

Futures and cryptocurrency trading on Columbus Day

Stock index futures (contracts that track the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, or Dow Jones) close on Columbus Day at the same time as the stock market. However, some futures exchanges reopen for evening trading on Monday, depending on the contract and exchange.

Cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance operate 24/7 and do not close on Columbus Day or any other day. If you trade crypto, you can buy and sell on Columbus Day just as you would any other day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I place orders on Columbus Day if my brokerage has a mobile app?

You can open the app and place an order, but it will not execute until the market reopens on Tuesday. The order sits in your account as "pending" until then. You can cancel it at any time before it executes.

What if I forget to cancel an order before Columbus Day?

Your order will execute on Tuesday morning at the market open or at the next available price that meets your order terms. If you do not want it to execute, log in as soon as possible on Tuesday morning before the market opens and cancel it.

Do mutual funds trade on Columbus Day?

Mutual funds do not trade during the day like stocks do. If you buy or sell a mutual fund on Friday, the transaction settles at that day's closing price. If you buy or sell on Columbus Day (through your brokerage), the transaction settles at Monday's closing price, which was already set before the holiday.

Will my automatic investments process on Columbus Day?

Automatic contributions to your brokerage account or retirement plan will likely process on Columbus Day, but the actual purchase of stocks or funds will not happen until Tuesday. You will see the cash in your account on Monday, but the shares will not buy until the market reopens.

What time does the market close on Friday before Columbus Day?

The NYSE and NASDAQ close at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, the same as any other trading day. After-hours trading continues until 8 p.m. Eastern, but volume is typically lower.