The stock market is closed on Presidents Day

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ both close on Presidents Day, which falls on the third Monday in February each year. This means you cannot buy or sell stocks, bonds, or most other securities on that day through normal trading channels. The closure applies to all U.S. stock exchanges and most bond markets.

Presidents Day is a federal holiday, and the financial markets observe it the same way they observe other federal holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Independence Day. If you have a standing order to trade on Presidents Day, it will not execute until the market reopens on Tuesday.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ close completely on Presidents Day, the third Monday in February, so you cannot trade stocks that day.
  • Any buy or sell orders you place before the market closes on Friday will wait until Tuesday to execute.
  • Some brokers allow after-hours or extended trading, but liquidity is thin and spreads are wider than during regular hours.
  • If you need to trade around a holiday, check your broker's holiday calendar in advance — closure dates are published yearly.

What happens to orders you place before the holiday

If you submit a market order (an order to buy or sell immediately at the current price) before the market closes on Friday, it will sit in the queue and execute when the market opens on Tuesday morning. The price you get may be very different from Friday's closing price, depending on what happens over the weekend and Monday.

A limit order (an order to buy at a specific price or below, or sell at a specific price or above) will also wait until Tuesday. If the stock never reaches your limit price on Tuesday, the order stays open until you cancel it or it reaches your price on a later day.

After-hours trading during the holiday weekend

Some brokers offer after-hours trading on Friday afternoon and Monday evening, even though the official market is closed. This trading happens on electronic communication networks (ECNs) rather than through the main exchanges. The volume is much lower than during regular trading hours, which means fewer buyers and sellers are available.

When volume is low, the difference between the bid price (what buyers will pay) and the ask price (what sellers want) widens significantly. You may pay more to buy or receive less to sell than you would during regular hours. Most individual investors avoid after-hours trading unless they have a specific reason to trade outside normal hours.

How to plan around Presidents Day closures

Check your broker's holiday calendar at the start of each year. Most brokers publish a full list of market closures on their website or in their trading platform. This lets you plan any trades you need to make before the holiday arrives.

If you are holding a position you are worried about, you can place a stop-loss order (an order to sell if the price drops to a certain level) before Friday's close. The order will execute on Tuesday if the stock opens below your stop price. Keep in mind that a stop order becomes a market order once triggered, so you may not get exactly the price you set — especially if the stock gaps down significantly at the open.

Presidents Day versus other market holidays

The U.S. stock market closes on ten federal holidays each year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Some holidays like Good Friday are observed by the stock market even though they are not federal holidays for most government offices.

The bond market sometimes has different rules. While stocks close completely on all ten holidays, some bond trading continues on a limited basis on certain days. If you trade bonds, check with your broker about their specific holiday schedule.

International markets and Presidents Day

International stock exchanges do not observe Presidents Day because it is a U.S. holiday. The London Stock Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, and other foreign markets operate normally on the third Monday in February. If you hold international stocks or ETFs that track foreign markets, those positions may move while the U.S. market is closed.

This can create a gap between the price of a foreign stock and the price of an American depositary receipt (ADR) or ETF that tracks it. When the U.S. market reopens on Tuesday, prices adjust to match the movement that happened overseas. This is one reason some investors place limit orders before a long weekend — to protect against large gaps at the open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade on Presidents Day through my broker?

The official stock exchanges are closed, so you cannot trade through normal channels. Some brokers offer after-hours trading on Monday evening, but volume is very low and you may pay wider spreads. Most investors wait until Tuesday to trade.

What if I need to sell a stock before Presidents Day?

You must sell before the market closes on Friday. Any order placed after Friday's close will not execute until Tuesday. If you are concerned about price movement over the weekend, place a limit order or stop-loss order before the close.

Do dividend payments or corporate actions happen on Presidents Day?

Dividend payments and other corporate actions are scheduled around market closures. If a dividend is due on Presidents Day, it is usually paid on the last trading day before the holiday, which is Friday.

Will my mutual fund trade on Presidents Day?

Mutual funds price and trade once per day after the market closes. On Presidents Day, mutual fund orders are not processed. Any order you place will execute at the next available price, which is Tuesday evening.