The stock market is closed on Presidents Day
The U.S. stock market does not trade on Presidents Day. All major exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Nasdaq, and the bond market — shut down for the holiday. This happens every third Monday in February. If you have a trade you want to make on that day, you cannot execute it through normal market channels.
Presidents Day is a federal holiday, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) designates it as a market holiday each year. The closure affects not just stock trading but also options, futures, and most bond trading. Your brokerage account will still exist and you can log in, but you cannot buy or sell securities.
Key Takeaways
- The stock market closes entirely on Presidents Day, the third Monday in February each year.
- All three major U.S. exchanges — NYSE, Nasdaq, and the bond market — are closed on the same day.
- You cannot trade stocks, options, or bonds on Presidents Day through any standard brokerage.
- If you place an order before the market closes on Friday, it will not execute until Tuesday morning after the holiday.
When the market reopens after Presidents Day
The market reopens on Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, the day after Presidents Day. Any orders you placed before the Friday close will sit in your brokerage system and execute at market open on Tuesday, unless you cancel them over the weekend.
This matters because stock prices can move significantly between Friday's close and Tuesday's open. News, earnings reports, or international market movements over the weekend can shift what your order is worth when it finally goes through. If you placed a limit order (an order to buy or sell only at a specific price), it may not fill at all if the stock gaps past your price on Tuesday morning.
What happens to pending orders over the holiday
Orders you submit before Friday's close remain in your brokerage system through the weekend and Presidents Day. They do not cancel automatically. However, they do not execute during the closure — the market simply is not open to match buyers and sellers.
If you placed a market order (buy or sell at whatever price is available), it will execute at the opening price on Tuesday morning, which may be different from Friday's closing price. If you placed a limit order, it will execute only if the stock reaches your specified price on Tuesday or later. You can cancel any pending order through your brokerage account online at any time, including over the weekend.
How to plan trades around Presidents Day
If you know you want to trade on or around Presidents Day, place your order before the market closes on Friday. Most brokerages let you set orders to execute "at market open" on the next trading day, which means Tuesday after the holiday. This removes the guesswork about what price you will get.
If you are waiting for news or earnings that might come out over the weekend, you may want to wait and place your order after the market opens on Tuesday instead. This gives you a chance to see how the news affects the stock price before you commit. Keep in mind that if many other traders are waiting to react to the same news, Tuesday's opening price may move quickly and your order might not fill at the price you expected.
Presidents Day market closure dates for the next several years
| Year | Presidents Day Date | Market Reopens |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Monday, February 19 | Tuesday, February 20 |
| 2025 | Monday, February 17 | Tuesday, February 18 |
| 2026 | Monday, February 16 | Tuesday, February 17 |
| 2027 | Monday, February 15 | Tuesday, February 16 |
| 2028 | Monday, February 21 | Tuesday, February 22 |
Presidents Day always falls on the third Monday of February. Mark it on your calendar if you trade regularly, because it is easy to forget that the market will be closed when you are planning your week.
Other federal holidays when the market closes
Presidents Day is one of nine federal holidays when U.S. stock exchanges close completely. The others are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. On each of these days, no stocks trade and no orders execute.
The market also closes early — at 1 p.m. Eastern Time instead of the normal 4 p.m. — on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve (if Christmas Eve falls on a weekday). If you trade options or futures, check with your broker about their specific holiday schedule, because some derivatives markets have slightly different closure rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trade after hours on Friday before Presidents Day?
Yes. Most brokerages offer after-hours trading from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday. You can place orders during this window, though prices may be less stable and spreads wider because fewer traders are active. Your order will sit until the market reopens on Tuesday morning.
What if I need to sell stock before Presidents Day?
You must sell before the market closes on Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. If you miss that window, you cannot sell until Tuesday after the holiday. If you are concerned about price movement over the weekend, you can place a sell order on Friday afternoon or during after-hours trading.
Do mutual funds and ETFs trade on Presidents Day?
Mutual funds do not trade on Presidents Day — they price and settle only on trading days. ETFs (exchange-traded funds) also do not trade because they trade on the stock exchange, which is closed. You can place an order to buy or sell an ETF or mutual fund on Friday, and it will execute on Tuesday at the opening price.
Will my dividend payment be delayed if it is scheduled for Presidents Day?
No. Dividend payments scheduled for Presidents Day are typically paid on the next business day, which is Tuesday. Your brokerage will handle the timing automatically — you do not need to do anything.