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Stock Market Hours 2026: NYSE and Nasdaq Trading Hours and Holidays
Aman Anand
Short answer: The US stock market (NYSE and Nasdaq) is open for regular trading from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except market holidays. Extended-hours trading runs before the open, starting as early as 4:00 a.m. ET depending on your broker, and after the close until 8:00 p.m. ET. Both exchanges plan to add an overnight session on December 6, 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
Last updated October 2026. Hours and holidays are taken from the NYSE hours and calendars page. Always confirm with your broker, since brokers set their own extended-hours windows.
Stock market hours at a glance (Eastern Time)
Session | Hours (ET) | What to know |
|---|---|---|
Pre-market | As early as 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | Start time depends on the exchange and your broker. Lower volume, wider spreads. |
Regular session | 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Opening and closing auctions happen at 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Most volume trades here. |
After-hours | 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | Earnings reports often land here. Prices can move sharply on thin volume. |
Early close days | 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | The day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve in 2026. |
In other time zones, the regular session is 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mountain, and 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific. Because the US and Europe switch to daylight saving time on different dates, the gap to London and other markets shifts for a few weeks each spring and fall.
2026 stock market holidays
The NYSE and Nasdaq are closed on these days in 2026:
Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
New Year's Day | Thursday, January 1 |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday, January 19 |
Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day) | Monday, February 16 |
Good Friday | Friday, April 3 |
Memorial Day | Monday, May 25 |
Juneteenth | Friday, June 19 |
Independence Day (observed) | Friday, July 3 |
Labor Day | Monday, September 7 |
Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26 |
Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 |
Early closes in 2026 (1:00 p.m. ET): Friday, November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving) and Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve).
2027 stock market holidays
New Year's Day (Friday, January 1), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 18), Washington's Birthday (Monday, February 15), Good Friday (Friday, March 26), Memorial Day (Monday, May 31), Juneteenth observed (Friday, June 18), Independence Day observed (Monday, July 5), Labor Day (Monday, September 6), Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 25) and Christmas observed (Friday, December 24). The early close in 2027 is Friday, November 26, at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Is the stock market open on weekends?
No. The NYSE and Nasdaq are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Some brokers offer limited overnight trading in selected stocks through alternative trading systems, but exchange trading does not happen on weekends. Crypto markets trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the forex market trades around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday evening.
23-hour trading: what changes on December 6, 2026
In April 2026 the SEC approved Nasdaq's proposal to extend trading in stocks and ETFs to 23 hours a day, five days a week. NYSE Arca has a similar plan. According to Jones Day's September 2026 analysis, both exchanges plan to launch overnight sessions on December 6, 2026, subject to remaining regulatory approvals.
Overnight session: 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. ET, Sunday night through Friday morning.
Daily pause: 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET for maintenance.
Limit orders only in Nasdaq's night session, with extra price protections.
The regular 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. session, and its opening and closing auctions, stay the same. Most liquidity will still be concentrated there.
Why market hours matter for your trading
Liquidity is uneven. Volume is heaviest in the first and last hour of the regular session. Extended hours have fewer buyers and sellers, so bid ask spreads widen and fills get worse.
Gaps happen between sessions. News released while the regular market is closed shows up as a gap at the next open. Day traders avoid this risk by closing positions before 4:00 p.m.; swing traders accept it.
Backtests need the right session. A strategy tested on regular-hours data can behave very differently if it trades pre-market or after-hours. When you test a strategy, make sure the data, the session and the costs match how you will actually trade it.
Order types behave differently. Many brokers accept only limit orders outside the regular session.
If you are just starting out, our guide to day trading for beginners covers how traders plan around the open and close.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the stock market open?
The regular session opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Pre-market trading can start as early as 4:00 a.m. ET, depending on your broker.
What time does the stock market close?
The regular session closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. After-hours trading continues until 8:00 p.m. ET. On early close days, the market closes at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Is the stock market open on Good Friday?
No. Good Friday is an NYSE and Nasdaq holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, April 3.
Is the stock market open on Veterans Day or Columbus Day?
Yes. The stock market stays open on Veterans Day and Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day), even though the bond market may close or close early.
Is the stock market open the day after Thanksgiving?
Yes, but it closes early at 1:00 p.m. ET. In 2026 that is Friday, November 27.
Can I trade stocks 24 hours a day?
Not on the major exchanges yet. Nasdaq and NYSE Arca plan to launch overnight sessions on December 6, 2026, subject to regulatory approval, which would allow trading 23 hours a day on weekdays. Some brokers already offer overnight trading in selected stocks through alternative venues.
Related guides
Risk Disclosure
Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Past performance and backtested results do not guarantee future results. Nvestiq provides technology tools, not financial advice.