How to Check If the Stock Market Was Open Today
The stock market follows a fixed schedule, and most days it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time
The U.S. stock market — meaning the exchanges where stocks trade, like the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq — closes on weekends and on specific federal holidays. If today is a weekday and not a holiday, the market was open. If you want to know whether the market was open on a specific date, check the NYSE holiday calendar on the New York Stock Exchange website, which lists every day the market will be closed for the year.
The market also closes early — at 1 p.m. Eastern Time — on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve, if those days fall on a weekday. These partial closures matter if you were trying to place a trade late in the afternoon.
Key Takeaways
- The stock market is closed on weekends and on federal holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Independence Day.
- The NYSE publishes its full holiday calendar each year on its website, so you can check whether a specific date was a market holiday.
- The market closes at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve, not at the usual 4 p.m.
- If you placed an order when the market was closed, it will execute when the market opens the next trading day, unless you cancelled it.
When the stock market is closed
The market is closed on all Saturdays and Sundays. It is also closed on these federal holidays, even if they fall on a weekday: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market is closed on Friday instead. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the market is closed on Monday instead. This shift keeps the market closed for exactly one day per holiday, even when the calendar date moves.
How to find the market calendar
The New York Stock Exchange publishes its holiday calendar on its website at nyse.com. Look for the "Market Holidays" page, which lists every day the market will be closed for the current year and the next year. You can bookmark this page and check it whenever you need to know whether a specific date is a trading day.
If you use a brokerage account — whether at Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Vanguard, or another firm — your broker's website or app will also show you the market calendar. Some brokers highlight market holidays on their trading calendar so you can see at a glance which days you cannot trade.
What happens if you try to trade when the market is closed
If you place an order to buy or sell a stock when the market is closed, your order will sit in a queue and execute when the market opens the next trading day — unless you cancel it first. This is called a standing order. Most brokers let you cancel a standing order through your account before the market opens.
Some brokers offer after-hours trading, which lets you trade stocks outside the normal 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. window. After-hours trading happens from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on regular trading days. However, after-hours trading has lower volume — fewer buyers and sellers — so prices can move more sharply and it can be harder to execute your order at the price you want. After-hours trading is not available on market holidays.
Why the market closes on holidays
The stock market closes on federal holidays because most financial institutions, government offices, and banks are closed on those days. The market also closes on Good Friday, which is not a federal holiday, because many financial professionals observe it and the volume of trading would be very low.
The early close on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve is a convention rather than a legal requirement. These days have historically seen light trading volume, and the exchanges decided to close early to let traders and staff leave early.
Planning around market closures
If you know you want to trade on a specific date, check the market calendar a few days ahead. This is especially important around the holidays in November and December, when there are multiple closures and early closes in a short span. If you need to execute a trade and the market is closed, you can place a standing order that will run when the market opens, or you can wait until the next trading day.
If you own stocks or funds and the market is closed, your holdings do not disappear — they simply do not trade. The value of your portfolio does not update until the market opens again and prices move. This is normal and expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the stock market open on Election Day?
No, the stock market is closed on Election Day in the United States, which is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. The market is also closed on Inauguration Day, which occurs every four years on January 20.
Can I trade stocks on my phone when the market is closed?
You can place an order on your phone when the market is closed, but it will not execute until the market opens. If your broker offers after-hours trading, you may be able to trade during those hours through your app, though not on market holidays.
What time does the market open and close?
The regular market hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. On the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, the market closes at 1 p.m. Eastern Time instead. After-hours trading runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on regular trading days.
If I place an order after hours, when will it execute?
If you place an order during after-hours trading (4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern), it may execute during after-hours if there is a buyer or seller at your price. If it does not execute during after-hours, it will carry over to the next regular trading day at 9:30 a.m., unless you set it to expire at the end of the day.