The stock market is closed on Thanksgiving Day but open the day after

The day after Thanksgiving — the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November — is a regular trading day. The stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time and closes at 4 p.m. Eastern time, just like any other Friday. You can buy and sell stocks, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on this day.

Thanksgiving itself is the only day the market closes for this holiday. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ both observe Thanksgiving as a market holiday, but they do not close for the day after. This is different from some other holidays — for example, the market closes for both Christmas and the day after Christmas if that day falls on a weekday.

Key Takeaways

  • The stock market operates on its normal schedule the day after Thanksgiving, opening at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.
  • Thanksgiving Day itself is the only market holiday related to this holiday period — the market is closed that day.
  • Trading volume on the Friday after Thanksgiving is often lighter than a typical Friday because many people are still traveling or off work.
  • If you have standing orders to buy or sell stocks, they will execute on the day after Thanksgiving if the conditions are met.

Why the market closes on Thanksgiving but not the day after

The NYSE and NASDAQ maintain a fixed list of market holidays each year. Thanksgiving is on that list, but the Friday after is not. The exchanges choose which holidays to observe based on federal holidays and market tradition. Thanksgiving has been a market closure since the early 1900s.

The day after Thanksgiving is not a federal holiday, so the exchanges treat it as a regular business day. Some individual investors and traders take the day off, which is why you may notice lower trading volume, but the market itself is open for business.

What to expect for trading volume and prices

The Friday after Thanksgiving typically sees lighter trading than a normal Friday. Many people are still traveling back from the holiday, and some traders and institutional investors take an extended weekend. This lower volume can mean wider spreads between the bid and ask prices for some stocks, especially smaller or less-traded ones.

Lower volume does not mean prices will move dramatically — it just means fewer shares are changing hands at any given moment. If you are placing an order to buy or sell, you may see slightly slower execution or a slightly different price than you would on a busier day, but the market functions normally.

How to prepare if you want to trade that day

If you plan to trade on the Friday after Thanksgiving, make sure your brokerage account is funded and ready before the market closes on Wednesday. Most brokers will not process new deposits or transfers over the Thanksgiving holiday, so any money you want to use needs to be in your account beforehand.

Check your broker's holiday schedule to confirm their offices are staffed and their customer service lines are open if you need help. Some brokers reduce their support hours on the day after Thanksgiving, even though the market itself is open. If you use a robo-advisor or automated trading system, those will continue to operate normally.

Standing orders and automatic trades on the day after Thanksgiving

If you have set up automatic investments, dividend reinvestment, or other standing orders through your broker, those will execute on the day after Thanksgiving if the conditions are met. For example, if you have a recurring weekly investment scheduled for Friday, it will go through on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The same applies to stop-loss orders or limit orders you placed before the holiday. If a stock hits your target price on the day after Thanksgiving, your order will execute. Just remember that with lighter trading volume, the actual execution price might differ slightly from your limit price.

The full market holiday calendar for the rest of the year

The stock market closes on a set list of holidays each year. After Thanksgiving, the next closures are Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1). The market also closes on Independence Day (July 4), Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), Labor Day (the first Monday in September), and Martin Luther King Jr. Day (the third Monday in January).

Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) is also a market holiday, though the date changes each year. Presidents' Day (the third Monday in February) closes the market as well. You can find the complete holiday schedule on the NYSE website or through your broker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I place orders on Thanksgiving Day if the market is closed?

Yes. Most brokers let you place orders at any time, even when the market is closed. Your order will sit in the system and execute when the market opens the next trading day — which is the Friday after Thanksgiving. The price you get depends on where the stock is trading when the market opens, not the price when you placed the order.

Will my dividend payment process on the day after Thanksgiving?

It depends on the dividend's ex-dividend date. If the ex-dividend date falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the dividend will process that day. If the ex-dividend date was before Thanksgiving, the payment already processed. Check your stock's dividend calendar or call your broker to confirm the exact date.

What if I need to contact my broker on the day after Thanksgiving?

Many brokers have reduced hours or limited staff on the day after Thanksgiving, even though the market is open. Call ahead or check your broker's website to see if they are offering full support. Most online brokers let you place and manage trades through their website or app regardless of whether a human is available to answer the phone.

Does the market close early on the day after Thanksgiving?

No. The market closes at its normal time of 4 p.m. Eastern on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The market does close early — at 1 p.m. Eastern — on the day before Thanksgiving (Wednesday) and on the day before Christmas, but not on the day after Thanksgiving.