The stock market closes at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on regular trading days, but the exact closing time depends on what day it is and whether the market is observing a holiday.

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq both stop accepting trades at 4 p.m. ET on weekdays when the market is open. However, the market does not open every day. It closes entirely on weekends and on specific federal holidays, and it closes early — at 1 p.m. ET — on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve if that day falls on a weekday.

If you are checking whether the market is open or closed today, the fastest way is to look at the NYSE or Nasdaq website directly, or to check your brokerage account, which will show you whether trading is active. The schedule does not change within a year, so once you know which holidays cause closures, you can predict the schedule months ahead.

Key Takeaways

  • Regular market hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays when the market is open.
  • The market closes entirely on weekends and on federal holidays including New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
  • The market closes at 1 p.m. ET on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve if those days fall on a weekday.
  • Your brokerage platform will show you in real time whether the market is currently open or closed.

Days the stock market is completely closed

The stock market does not open on these days each year: New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (the third Monday in January), Presidents' Day (the third Monday in February), Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25).

When one of these holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the market is closed on that day anyway because it does not operate on weekends. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market sometimes closes on Friday instead; if it falls on a Sunday, the market sometimes closes on Monday. The NYSE and Nasdaq publish their holiday schedule each year on their websites, so you can see the exact dates well in advance.

Days the stock market closes early

On two days each year, the market closes at 1 p.m. ET instead of 4 p.m. ET: the day after Thanksgiving (the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Eve (December 24) if it falls on a weekday. On these days, the market still opens at 9:30 a.m. ET, but trading stops three hours earlier than usual.

If Christmas Eve or the day after Thanksgiving falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the market is closed that day entirely, so there is no early close. The early close applies only when these dates fall on a weekday.

How to check if the market is open right now

The simplest way to see whether the market is open today is to log into your brokerage account. Most platforms display a banner or indicator showing whether the market is currently open, closed, or in pre-market or after-hours trading. If you do not have a brokerage account, you can visit the NYSE website (nyse.com) or the Nasdaq website (nasdaq.com) and look for their market status indicator, usually visible on the home page.

Financial news websites like CNBC, MarketWatch, and Yahoo Finance also display the market status at the top of their pages. You can also search "is the stock market open today" and your search engine will show you the answer when ready, pulled from the official exchange websites.

Pre-market and after-hours trading times

Even when the regular market is closed, some trading happens outside official hours. Pre-market trading typically runs from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET, and after-hours trading typically runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. These sessions have lower volume and wider bid-ask spreads, meaning prices can move more sharply and it can be harder to buy or sell at the price you want.

Pre-market and after-hours trading are available through most brokerages, but you have to turn on the setting in your account. The regular market closing at 4 p.m. ET does not mean all trading stops — it means the main exchange stops accepting orders, but electronic communication networks (ECNs) continue matching buyers and sellers at different prices.

Why the market closes at different times

The market closes at 4 p.m. ET because that time was set when the NYSE was founded in 1792 and has remained standard ever since. The early closures on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are traditions meant to give traders and market workers a longer holiday break. These early closes have been in place for decades.

The market closes entirely on federal holidays because the exchanges themselves are closed and most market participants are not working. The specific holidays observed by the stock market are set by the NYSE and Nasdaq boards and can be found in their official holiday schedules, which they update each year.

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 and submit it when the market opens the next trading day, unless you specify otherwise. This is called a market order held overnight. If you want your order to expire if it does not fill during today's session, you can set it as a "day order," which cancels automatically when the market closes.

Some brokerages allow you to place orders during pre-market and after-hours sessions, but these orders will only fill if another trader is willing to buy or sell at your price during those hours. If no one matches your price, the order will carry over to the regular session or expire, depending on how you set it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the stock market close at 4 p.m. every day?

The market closes at 4 p.m. ET on regular weekdays when it is open. It closes at 1 p.m. ET on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve if those days fall on a weekday. It does not open at all on weekends and federal holidays.

Is the stock market open on holidays?

No. The stock market is closed on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It is also closed every Saturday and Sunday.

Can I trade after 4 p.m.?

Yes, if your brokerage offers after-hours trading. Sessions typically run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. After-hours trading has lower volume and wider spreads, so prices can move more sharply and orders may be harder to fill.

What time does the market open?

The stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on all regular trading days. Pre-market trading begins earlier, around 4 a.m. ET, but the official open is 9:30 a.m.

If a holiday falls on a weekend, is the market closed on Friday or Monday?

It depends on the holiday. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market usually closes on Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, the market usually closes on Monday. The NYSE and Nasdaq publish their exact holiday schedule each year so you can see which day the market will be closed.