Stock Market Holidays 2026: Full Calendar & Early Closes

Stock Market Holidays in 2026

The NYSE and NASDAQ will be fully closed on 9 holidays and will close early at 1:00 PM Eastern Time on 3 additional days during 2026. These schedules apply to all U.S. equity exchanges, and options markets follow the same calendar.

Planning around these closures is essential for active traders who need to manage open positions, avoid placing orders that will not execute until markets reopen, and account for weekend and holiday gap risk. Below is the complete 2026 schedule with every date you need.

Full Market Closure Dates for 2026

Here is the complete list of days when U.S. stock markets are closed for the entire session:

Note that when Independence Day (July 4) falls on a Saturday, the market observes the holiday on the preceding Friday (July 3). Christmas Day falls on a Friday in 2026.

Early-Close Days in 2026

On three days each year, U.S. stock markets open at the normal time (9:30 AM ET) but close early at 1:00 PM ET instead of the standard 4:00 PM ET:

During these shortened sessions, bond markets also close early (typically at 2:00 PM ET), and trading volume is usually 30-50% below normal levels.

What Early-Close Days Mean for Traders

The reduced trading hours create several practical challenges:

• Lower liquidity: Fewer market participants means wider bid-ask spreads and potentially worse fill prices
• Compressed activity: Any meaningful price moves happen in a narrower time window
• Order management: Time-in-force orders (like day orders) expire at 1:00 PM instead of 4:00 PM
• Options considerations: Options that expire on early-close days stop trading at 1:00 PM, giving you less time to manage or exercise positions

Month-by-Month 2026 Trading Calendar

January 2026

• January 1 (Thursday): CLOSED — New Year's Day
• January 19 (Monday): CLOSED — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Trading days in January: 20

January starts with a holiday and includes MLK Day, giving the month fewer trading sessions than average. The reduced schedule coincides with the start of Q4 earnings season.

February 2026

• February 16 (Monday): CLOSED — Presidents' Day
• Trading days in February: 19

The shortest month by calendar days also has a holiday, making February consistently one of the lightest months for trading sessions.

March 2026

• No holidays
• Trading days in March: 22

March is typically a full trading month with no interruptions, coinciding with the end of Q1 for most companies.

April 2026

• April 3 (Friday): CLOSED — Good Friday
• Trading days in April: 21

Good Friday is the only non-Monday holiday, and it creates a three-day weekend. The date of Good Friday changes annually because it is based on the Easter calendar.

May 2026

• May 25 (Monday): CLOSED — Memorial Day
• Trading days in May: 20

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, after which trading volumes historically decline through Labor Day.

June 2026

• June 19 (Friday): CLOSED — Juneteenth
• Trading days in June: 21

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and was first observed by U.S. stock exchanges in 2022. It falls on June 19 each year, and when it lands on a weekend, it is observed on the nearest weekday.

July 2026

• July 2 (Thursday): EARLY CLOSE at 1:00 PM ET
• July 3 (Friday): CLOSED — Independence Day (observed)
• Trading days in July: 21 (one early close)

The July 4 holiday falling on Saturday means July 3 is the closure day. The early close on July 2 gives traders a shorter final session before a three-day weekend.

August 2026

• No holidays
• Trading days in August: 22

August has no holidays but historically features reduced volume as institutional traders take vacations. This "summer doldrums" period can make price movements less meaningful.

September 2026

• September 7 (Monday): CLOSED — Labor Day
• Trading days in September: 21

Labor Day marks the end of the summer low-volume period. September historically has the worst average monthly return for stocks.

October 2026

• No holidays
• Trading days in October: 22

October is a full trading month, typically coinciding with Q3 earnings season. Despite its reputation for market crashes (1929, 1987, 2008), October is statistically an average-performing month.

November 2026

• November 26 (Thursday): CLOSED — Thanksgiving
• November 27 (Friday): EARLY CLOSE at 1:00 PM ET
• Trading days in November: 20 (one early close)

The Thanksgiving holiday creates the most trading disruption of any holiday period. Thursday is fully closed, Friday is an early close with minimal participation, and the following week often sees reduced activity.

December 2026

• December 24 (Thursday): EARLY CLOSE at 1:00 PM ET
• December 25 (Friday): CLOSED — Christmas Day
• Trading days in December: 22 (one early close)

The final week of December (between Christmas and New Year's) historically sees the lowest trading volumes of the year. This period includes the well-known "Santa Claus Rally" window, though it often features unreliable price action due to thin trading.

Global Market Holiday Comparison

U.S. stock markets are not the only markets that matter. If you trade international stocks, ETFs, or ADRs, you need to know when other major exchanges are closed.

Major Global Exchange Holidays

Key Differences That Affect U.S. Investors

Japan's extended closures during Golden Week (late April to early May) and New Year (typically December 31 through January 3) can significantly reduce price discovery for Japanese stocks and yen-related assets during these windows.

China's long holiday closures — seven consecutive days for Lunar New Year and National Day — create unique risks. World events can occur during these closures that cannot be immediately priced into Chinese stocks, leading to sharp moves on the reopening day.

How Holidays Affect Trading Strategies

Pre-Holiday Trading Patterns

Research has identified a pre-holiday effect where U.S. stock returns tend to be slightly higher on the trading day immediately before a holiday. This effect has been documented across multiple decades and is attributed to short sellers covering positions before closures and generally positive sentiment heading into time off.

Post-Holiday Gaps

Markets frequently gap up or down when reopening after holidays, especially multi-day closures. News, economic data, and global market movements that occur during the closure are priced in all at once when trading resumes.

To manage gap risk:

• Reduce position sizes heading into extended closures
• Use options to hedge directional exposure
• Avoid placing stop-loss orders that might gap through during the opening
• Consider closing short-term trades before multi-day closures

Year-End and Year-Start Effects

The transition from December to January creates unique dynamics:

• Tax-loss harvesting in December (selling losers for tax benefits) creates artificial selling pressure
• January effect: Small-cap stocks have historically outperformed in January as tax-loss selling pressure reverses
• Window dressing: Fund managers sell underperforming holdings and buy winners before year-end reporting

Bond Market vs. Stock Market Holidays

The bond market (SIFMA-recommended schedule) observes some holidays that the stock market does not, and vice versa. Notable differences:

• Bond markets close early at 2:00 PM ET on several additional days
• Columbus Day: Bonds close, stocks trade normally
• Veterans Day: Bonds close, stocks trade normally

If you trade both stocks and bonds, maintain separate holiday calendars for each market.

FAQ

Are stock market holidays the same for NYSE and NASDAQ?

Yes. The NYSE and NASDAQ observe identical holiday schedules, including the same early-close days. All U.S. equity exchanges coordinate their holiday calendars.

Can I trade during stock market holidays?

No regular-session trading occurs on full-closure holidays. However, some after-hours and electronic trading platforms may offer limited trading on certain holidays. Futures markets sometimes have abbreviated schedules on holidays. Check with your specific broker for availability.

Do options expire on holidays?

Options cannot expire on a holiday when the market is closed. If a standard monthly expiration date falls on a holiday, the last trading day for that options series is moved to the prior business day. Weekly options that would expire on a holiday are adjusted similarly.

How do holidays affect settlement dates?

Stock trades settle on T+1 (one business day after the trade). If you buy shares on the trading day before a holiday, settlement occurs on the first business day after the holiday. This extended settlement period means your funds are tied up slightly longer around holidays.

Where can I find the official stock market holiday schedule?

The NYSE publishes its official holiday calendar on its website (nyse.com). NASDAQ publishes its own identical calendar. Financial data providers like Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and most brokerage platforms also list upcoming market holidays and early-close days.