How to learn about the stock market is open tomorrow

The stock market does not open every day. U.S. stock exchanges close on weekends and on 11 federal holidays each year. The fastest way to know whether tomorrow is a trading day is to check the calendar on the website of the exchange itself — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or NASDAQ both publish their annual holiday schedule. If tomorrow is a Saturday or Sunday, the market is closed. If it is a weekday but falls on a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, the market is also closed.

Most financial websites and brokerage platforms also display a market status indicator. Your own brokerage account — whether you use Fidelity, Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, or another firm — will show you whether the market is open or closed tomorrow. If you do not have a brokerage account, you can look at any major financial news site: CNBC, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, and Google Finance all show market hours prominently at the top of their pages.

Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. stock market is closed on weekends and 11 federal holidays each year, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Independence Day.
  • Regular trading hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on days the market is open, though some brokerages offer pre-market and after-hours trading.
  • The NYSE and NASDAQ both publish their full holiday calendars online, and your brokerage platform will also show whether tomorrow is a trading day.
  • If tomorrow is a holiday but the market is open, you can still trade during regular hours unless your brokerage has its own closure.

Regular market hours on trading days

When the stock market is open, regular trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This is true whether you are on the East Coast or the West Coast — the time is always Eastern. If you live in a different time zone, you will need to convert: 9:30 a.m. Eastern is 8:30 a.m. Central, 7:30 a.m. Mountain, and 6:30 a.m. Pacific.

Before the official open at 9:30 a.m., there is a pre-market trading session that typically runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern. After the close at 4:00 p.m., there is an after-hours session that usually runs until 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Not all brokerages offer pre-market and after-hours trading, and the volume of trades during these times is much lower than during regular hours. If you are new to investing, most of your trading will happen during the 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. window.

The 11 days the stock market is closed each year

The U.S. stock market closes on these federal holidays:

  • New Year's Day (January 1)
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
  • Presidents' Day (third Monday in February)
  • Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
  • Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
  • Juneteenth (June 19)
  • Independence Day (July 4)
  • Labor Day (first Monday in September)
  • Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
  • Day after Thanksgiving (fourth Friday in November)
  • Christmas Day (December 25)

When a holiday falls on a weekend, the market is already closed, so there is no makeup closure. For example, if Christmas falls on a Saturday, the market does not close on Friday or Monday as a substitute. The only exception in recent years was when the market closed early (at 1:00 p.m. Eastern) on the day after Thanksgiving, though this is not may provide every year.

What to do if you are unsure whether tomorrow is a trading day

If you are still uncertain, the most reliable source is the official holiday calendar. Go to nyse.com or nasdaq.com and look for "Holiday Calendar" or "Market Hours." Both sites list every day the market will be closed for the current and next year. You can bookmark these pages so you have them handy whenever you need to check.

Your brokerage platform is equally reliable. Log into your account and look for a market status indicator — it is usually displayed on the home page or in a banner at the top. If the market is closed tomorrow, it will say so clearly. If you do not have a brokerage account yet, you can check any major financial news outlet: CNBC.com, MarketWatch.com, and Yahoo Finance all show whether the market is open in real time.

Early closures and special circumstances

On rare occasions, the market may close early or not open at all due to circumstances beyond the normal holiday schedule. This has happened only a handful of times in modern history — for example, the market closed for four days after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) makes these decisions and announces them in advance through official statements.

If you are checking the market status and see an unusual announcement, it will appear on the SEC website (sec.gov) and on the NYSE and NASDAQ websites. Your brokerage will also notify you by email or through your account. These closures are extremely rare, so you do not need to worry about them for routine planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the stock market open on Presidents' Day or Memorial Day?

No. The stock market is closed on both Presidents' Day (third Monday in February) and Memorial Day (last Monday in May). Both are federal holidays when U.S. stock exchanges do not trade. Check the NYSE or NASDAQ holiday calendar to see the exact dates for the current year.

Can I trade stocks before 9:30 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m.?

Some brokerages offer pre-market trading starting as early as 4:00 a.m. Eastern and after-hours trading until 8:00 p.m. Eastern. However, not all brokerages support these sessions, and trading volume is much lower outside regular hours. Check your brokerage's website or call their customer service to see if you have access to extended hours trading.

What time does the market close on the day before Thanksgiving?

The market is open on the day before Thanksgiving (the day after Thanksgiving is the holiday closure). Regular hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Some years the market has closed early at 1:00 p.m., but this is not may provide. Check the NYSE or NASDAQ calendar for the specific year you are asking about.

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

No. If a federal holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the market is already closed on the weekend, so there is no additional closure. The market opens normally on the nearest weekday. For example, if Christmas falls on a Saturday, the market opens normally on Monday.

Where can I find the complete market holiday calendar?

Visit nyse.com or nasdaq.com and search for "Holiday Calendar" or "Market Hours." Both exchanges publish their full calendars for the current and upcoming years. Your brokerage platform will also display this information in your account dashboard or in their help section.