The stock market is closed on Thanksgiving Day

The U.S. stock market does not trade on Thanksgiving. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ both shut down for the holiday. If you place an order to buy or sell stocks on Thanksgiving, it will not execute that day — it will wait until the market reopens the following Friday morning.

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November each year. In 2024, that is November 28. In 2025, it is November 27. The market closes at its regular time on Wednesday and stays closed Thursday and Friday. Trading resumes on Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

This closure applies to all stock exchanges and most investment accounts. If you use a brokerage app or website, you will see that the trading interface is unavailable or shows a message that the market is closed. You can still view your holdings and account balance, but you cannot place new trades.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ close on Thanksgiving Day and do not reopen until the following Monday morning.
  • Any buy or sell order you place on Thanksgiving will execute on Monday at the market open, not on Thursday.
  • The market also closes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at its regular time — there is no early close that day.
  • If you need to trade before the holiday, you have until Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, when the market closes for the week.

What happens to your orders on Thanksgiving

If you submit a market order (an order to buy or sell at the current price) on Thanksgiving, your brokerage will hold it and send it to the exchange when trading resumes on Monday. The order will execute at Monday's opening price, not at Thursday's price. This means you do not know the exact price you will pay or receive until the market opens.

Limit orders work differently. A limit order tells your broker to buy at a price you set or lower, or sell at a price you set or higher. If you place a limit order on Thanksgiving, it stays in effect when the market reopens on Monday. If the stock hits your limit price during Monday's trading, the order will execute. If it does not, the order remains active until you cancel it or it expires.

Most brokerages let you place orders on their website or app even when the market is closed. The order sits in your account until the market opens. Some brokerages offer after-hours trading (trading before 9:30 a.m. or after 4 p.m.), but this is not available on holidays — the market is completely closed on Thanksgiving.

Planning ahead if you want to trade before the holiday

If you want to buy or sell before Thanksgiving, you need to place your order by Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. That is when the market closes for the week. Any order placed after that time will not execute until Monday.

Wednesday is a normal trading day with normal volume and volatility. You will see current prices and can make trades as usual. If you are waiting for a specific price or news before you decide to trade, Wednesday is your final note before the four-day break.

Some investors use the Thanksgiving break to review their portfolio or plan changes they want to make when trading resumes. You can research stocks, read earnings reports, and prepare your orders during the holiday. Then you can execute them first thing Monday morning when the market opens.

The day after Thanksgiving is also closed

The market is closed not only on Thanksgiving Day but also on the day after — the Friday after Thanksgiving. This is sometimes called the day after Thanksgiving or the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it is an official market holiday. The exchange does not trade, and no orders execute.

This means if you want to trade, you have to wait until Monday. The four-day weekend (Thursday through Sunday) plus the market closure on Friday means there is a five-day gap between Wednesday's close and Monday's open. Plan your trades accordingly if you have positions you want to adjust before the holiday.

How to check if the market is open

Your brokerage will display a message when the market is closed. Most apps and websites show a banner or notification saying "Market Closed" or "Holiday" when you log in on Thanksgiving or the Friday after. Some brokerages also list the market holiday calendar on their website so you can see all the days the market will be closed for the year.

The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) publishes the official market holiday calendar. You can find it on the SEC website or on your brokerage's website. The calendar lists every day the NYSE and NASDAQ will be closed, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and other federal holidays.

If you are unsure whether the market is open on a specific day, check your brokerage app first. If you cannot place a trade, the market is closed. You can also call your brokerage's customer service line, though wait times may be long on days near holidays.

Other market closures around the holidays

Thanksgiving is not the only time the market closes in the fall and winter. The market also closes on Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1). If either of these falls on a weekend, the market closes on the nearest weekday instead.

The market also closes early — at 1 p.m. Eastern Time instead of 4 p.m. — on the day before Thanksgiving (Wednesday) and on Christmas Eve (December 24). This is not a full closure, but it is a shortened trading day. If you want to trade on these days, you have less time to do so.

Throughout the year, the market also closes for Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), and Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January). Checking your brokerage's holiday calendar before you plan a trade can help you avoid surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade stocks on Thanksgiving if I use a 24-hour trading app?

No. Even apps that offer extended hours trading cannot execute orders on Thanksgiving because the stock exchanges themselves are closed. The NYSE and NASDAQ do not operate on this holiday, so no trades can go through, regardless of what app or brokerage you use.

What if I need to sell a stock before Thanksgiving because I think the price will drop?

You must place your sell order by Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. If you wait until Thanksgiving or Friday, your order will not execute until Monday morning. If the price drops over the weekend, you will have to accept the lower price on Monday.

Do dividends get paid on Thanksgiving?

Dividends are paid on the ex-dividend date set by the company, which is usually a regular trading day. If a company's ex-dividend date falls on Thanksgiving, the payment is delayed until the next trading day (Monday). Check your stock's dividend calendar to see when payments are scheduled.

Will my brokerage charge me a fee if I place an order on Thanksgiving?

No. Placing an order on a holiday does not cost extra. Your brokerage will not charge you a fee for submitting an order that executes on Monday instead of Thursday. Standard trading commissions explore when the order executes, just as they would on any other day.

Can I buy stocks on Thanksgiving if I use a bank's investment service?

No. Banks that offer stock trading use the same exchanges as independent brokerages. The NYSE and NASDAQ are closed on Thanksgiving, so you cannot trade through a bank either. You will have to wait until Monday to place your order.