The stock market's schedule depends on the day of the week and the calendar

The stock market is closed on weekends and on specific federal holidays. If tomorrow is a Saturday or Sunday, the market will not be open. If tomorrow is a weekday, the market is almost certainly open — unless it falls on one of the nine days each year when the U.S. stock exchanges shut down for a holiday.

The major U.S. stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ — follow the same holiday schedule. Both close at the same times and reopen on the same days. If you trade on one exchange, you can use the same calendar to check the other.

The fastest way to confirm is to check the NYSE or NASDAQ website directly, where each posts its annual holiday schedule. You can also look at your brokerage's trading calendar, which will show you whether your account can place trades tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

  • The stock market is closed every Saturday and Sunday, and on nine federal holidays throughout the year.
  • The NYSE and NASDAQ observe the same holiday schedule, so checking one tells you about both.
  • You can verify tomorrow's status on the NYSE website, the NASDAQ website, or your brokerage's calendar.
  • Early closures happen on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve, when the market closes at 1 p.m. Eastern time instead of 4 p.m.

The nine days the stock market closes each year

The U.S. stock exchanges close on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. The dates of some holidays shift year to year — for example, Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, and Good Friday changes based on the Christian calendar.

In addition to full closures, the market closes early — at 1 p.m. Eastern time instead of the standard 4 p.m. — on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve. If you trade options or hold positions that settle after the close, an early closure affects when your trades execute and when settlement occurs.

The NYSE and NASDAQ publish their holiday schedules for the current year and the next year on their websites. You can read these as a calendar or view them as a list. If you are unsure whether a specific date is a trading day, checking the official schedule takes less than a minute.

How to check your brokerage's trading calendar

Your brokerage — whether it is Fidelity, Charles Schwab, E-Trade, or another firm — maintains its own trading calendar on its website or in its mobile app. This calendar shows you not only when the market is closed, but also whether your specific account can place trades. Some brokerages allow after-hours trading, which means you can trade before the market opens or after it closes on regular trading days.

To find your brokerage's calendar, log into your account and search for "market hours" or "trading calendar." Most brokerages display this information prominently during market hours. You can also call your brokerage's customer service line to ask whether the market is open tomorrow — they can answer in seconds.

What happens if you try to trade when the market is closed

If you place a trade order when the market is closed, your brokerage will hold the order until the market reopens. This is called a pre-market order or after-hours order, depending on when you place it. The order will execute at the market open the next trading day, unless you cancel it first.

The price you see when you place the order is not the price you will pay. Stock prices move during after-hours trading, so the actual execution price may be higher or lower than what you saw when you submitted the order. If you do not want this risk, wait until the market is open to place your trade.

Early market closures and their trading impact

On the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, the market closes at 1 p.m. Eastern time. This affects the timing of your trades and the settlement of your positions. If you usually trade in the final hour before the 4 p.m. close, you will need to place your trades earlier on these days.

Settlement — the process of transferring cash and securities between your account and the seller's — still takes the standard number of days (usually two business days), but the clock starts from the 1 p.m. close instead of the 4 p.m. close. This can shift when you have access to the cash or securities from your trade.

International stock markets and their schedules

If you trade stocks on exchanges outside the United States — such as the London Stock Exchange, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, or the Toronto Stock Exchange — those markets follow their own holiday schedules. They do not close on U.S. holidays, and they may close on holidays that the U.S. market is open.

Each international exchange publishes its own calendar. If you hold positions in multiple markets, you will need to check each one separately to know when you can trade. Your brokerage can tell you which international markets it offers and when each one is open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the stock market open on Christmas?

No. The stock market is closed on Christmas Day (December 25). It is also closed on Christmas Eve (December 24), but with an early close at 1 p.m. Eastern time if December 24 falls on a weekday. Check your brokerage's calendar to confirm the exact hours for the year you are trading in.

Can I trade before the market opens?

Yes. Most brokerages offer pre-market trading, which typically runs from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on regular trading days. Pre-market prices can be more volatile and spreads wider than during regular hours. Check your brokerage's website to see if your account has pre-market trading turned on.

What if a holiday falls on a weekend?

If a federal holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the stock market does not observe it on a different day. The market is already closed on weekends, so the holiday does not create an extra closure. For example, if Independence Day falls on a Sunday, the market is open on Monday.

Does the bond market follow the same schedule as the stock market?

The bond market and the stock market close on the same federal holidays, but the bond market has slightly different regular hours. The bond market typically closes at 5 p.m. Eastern time, one hour after the stock market. Check your brokerage's calendar if you trade both stocks and bonds.

What time does the stock market open and close?

The U.S. stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time and closes at 4 p.m. Eastern time on regular trading days. On the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, it closes at 1 p.m. Eastern time. These times are the same for the NYSE and NASDAQ.