The stock market opens and closes on a fixed schedule, but not every day

The U.S. stock market is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It is closed on weekends and on specific federal holidays. If today is a Saturday, Sunday, or one of the nine days the market observes as holidays, the market is closed.

The easiest way to know whether the market is open right now is to check the time and day of the week. If it is a weekday and between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET, the market is open. If it is outside those hours or it is a weekend, the market is closed.

The major U.S. stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ — follow the same schedule. Both close at the same times and observe the same holidays.

Key Takeaways

  • Regular market hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
  • The market is closed on nine federal holidays each year: New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
  • Pre-market trading begins at 4:00 a.m. ET and after-hours trading runs until 8:00 p.m. ET, but these are not regular market hours and have lower volume and wider spreads.
  • The market closes early at 1:00 p.m. ET on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve (when Christmas falls on a weekday).

The nine days the market is closed each year

The NYSE and NASDAQ close 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)
  • Christmas Day (December 25)

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market is closed on Friday instead. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the market is closed on Monday instead. This shift ensures the market observes the holiday without disrupting the regular Monday-through-Friday schedule.

Early closures and shortened trading days

The market also closes early — at 1:00 p.m. ET instead of 4:00 p.m. ET — on two days each year. The day after Thanksgiving (the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November) always has an early close. Christmas Eve (December 24) also has an early close, but only when Christmas falls on a weekday.

Early-close days still count as regular trading days. Volume is typically lower than on a full trading day, and some traders adjust their strategies accordingly. If you are planning to trade on these days, confirm the early close time with your broker.

Pre-market and after-hours trading

Trading does happen outside regular market hours, but it is not the same as regular trading. Pre-market trading runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET. After-hours trading runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. Both are conducted through electronic communication networks (ECNs) rather than through the main exchanges.

Pre-market and after-hours trading have much lower volume than regular hours. Bid-ask spreads are wider, meaning the difference between the price a buyer will pay and the price a seller will accept is larger. Prices can move more sharply on less volume. Most individual investors do not trade during these windows, and many brokers restrict or charge extra for pre-market and after-hours trades.

If the market is closed for the day but you see trading activity, it is happening in the after-hours market. This is not the same as the regular market being open.

How to verify the market status for today

The fastest way to check is to look at the time and day. If it is a weekday between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET, the market is open. If you want to double-check the holiday calendar, the NYSE publishes its official holiday schedule on its website each year.

Financial news websites like Yahoo Finance, CNBC, and MarketWatch display the market status at the top of their pages. They show whether the market is open, closed, or in pre-market or after-hours trading. Your brokerage account also displays the current market status.

If you are outside the Eastern Time Zone, remember to convert. Pacific Time is three hours behind ET, so 9:30 a.m. ET is 6:30 a.m. PT. Central Time is one hour behind ET.

What happens to your orders when the market is closed

If you place a market order when the market is closed, it will not execute until the market opens. Most brokers hold the order and send it to the market at the open of the next trading day. The price you receive may be different from the price you saw when you placed the order, because prices can change overnight based on news and international markets.

Limit orders — orders that execute only at a specific price or better — also wait until the market opens. If the stock never reaches your limit price during the trading day, the order expires at the close and you must place it again the next day.

Some brokers allow you to place orders during pre-market and after-hours trading, but these orders are not may provide to fill and may fill at prices far from what you expected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the stock market open on weekends?

No. The stock market is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Regular trading happens only Monday through Friday during market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET). Some trading does happen in after-hours markets on weekdays, but the main exchanges do not operate on weekends.

What time does the market open and close?

The market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on regular trading days. Pre-market trading begins at 4:00 a.m. ET, and after-hours trading runs until 8:00 p.m. ET. On the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve (when Christmas is a weekday), the market closes at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Does the market close on Election Day?

No. Election Day is not a federal holiday that closes the stock market. The market remains open on Election Day, even in presidential election years. Only the nine holidays listed above cause the market to close.

Can I trade if the market is closed?

You can place orders during pre-market (4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET) and after-hours (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET) trading, but not all brokers offer this, and prices are less stable. Most individual investors trade only during regular market hours when volume is highest and prices are most reliable.

What if a holiday falls on a weekend?

When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, the market closes on Friday instead. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the market closes on Monday instead. This keeps the market on its regular Monday-through-Friday schedule while still observing the holiday.