2026 US Stock Market Holidays Calendar: Don't Miss Any Trading Opportunities

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Are you planning your investment schedule for 2026? To help you prepare in advance, we have compiled a complete 2026 US stock market holiday calendar. You can stay informed about all non-trading days at a glance.

Tip: Add this US stock market holiday schedule to your calendar to effectively avoid placing invalid orders on non-trading days.

Key Takeaways

• There are 10 full-day closures and 1 early closure day in the US stock market in 2026.
• Understanding US stock observed holiday rules is important, such as early closure for Independence Day holidays.
• “Black Friday” after Thanksgiving is the only early closure day, when the market closes early.
• Investors need to adjust trading hours based on daylight saving time and standard time to match Beijing time.
• Pre-market and after-hours trading have lower liquidity and potentially greater price volatility, so investors should be cautious.

2026 US Stock Market Holiday Calendar

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Overview of Full-Year Closure Dates

To give you a deeper understanding of the 2026 trading rhythm, let’s detail these 10 US stock market closure days. These holidays are distributed throughout the year, and knowing them will help you better manage your portfolio.

The 2026 closure schedule starts from the beginning of the year:

• January 1 (Thursday), closed for New Year’s Day.
• January 19 (Monday), for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• February 16 (Monday), is Presidents’ Day.

Entering spring, you will encounter two important closure days:

• April 3 (Friday), the market closes for Good Friday.
• May 25 (Monday), for Memorial Day.

Summer holidays are also noteworthy:

• June 19 (Friday), is the newer federal holiday Juneteenth.
• July 3 (Friday), is the observed day for Independence Day. We will explain the observed holiday rules in detail below.

Finally, closure arrangements in the second half of the year are concentrated in autumn and winter:

• September 7 (Monday), is the traditional Labor Day.
• November 26 (Thursday), is the important Thanksgiving Day.
• December 25 (Friday), the market closes for Christmas Day, concluding the year.

From the weekday distribution, 2026 holidays are mainly on Mondays and Fridays, which usually create long weekends.

Explanation of Observed Holiday Rules

You may notice that U.S. Independence Day is July 4, but the 2026 closure is on July 3. This is because U.S. stock exchanges follow a clear observed holiday rule, and understanding it is crucial for planning trades.

Core Observed Holiday Rule: When a legal holiday falls on a weekend, to prevent the holiday from being “skipped,” the US stock market closure is moved to an adjacent weekday.

• If the holiday falls on Saturday, the market closes on the previous Friday.
• If the holiday falls on Sunday, the market closes on the following Monday.

Now, let’s apply this rule to 2026. U.S. Independence Day (July 4) in 2026 falls on a Saturday. According to the rule, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq (NASDAQ) will close all day on July 3 (Friday) to observe the holiday.

Therefore, you need to mark July 3 as a non-trading day, not July 4. Mastering this pattern can help you avoid confusion in similar situations in the future, ensuring your trading plans fully align with market opening times.

Special Reminder for Early Closure Days

In addition to full-day closures, you also need to pay special attention to a few “early closure days” when trading hours are shortened. On these days, the market closes several hours earlier than usual. Typically, there are two such days each year, but 2026 is special with only one early closure day. Knowing these arrangements can help you avoid submitting orders after closure.

July Independence Day Holiday Arrangements

You might expect an early closure near Independence Day, but there is none in 2026. The reason is simple: Independence Day (July 4) in 2026 is a Saturday, so the market closes all day on July 3 (Friday) as observed. Since this day is already fully closed, there is no early closure situation. This is a special case, and you need to note it when planning July trades.

November Thanksgiving Holiday Arrangements

The only early closure day in 2026 occurs after Thanksgiving. Please mark this important date on your calendar:

2026 Early Closure Day

• Date: November 27, Friday
• Occasion: Day after Thanksgiving (commonly known as “Black Friday”)
• Closure Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Time

This day, November 27, is the famous U.S. “Black Friday.” It marks the official start of the Christmas shopping season. Although it is not an official federal holiday, trading activity is usually reduced, and market liquidity may be lower. Therefore, exchanges choose to end trading early at 1:00 PM. For investors focusing on the retail sector, market sentiment and trading data on this day are particularly noteworthy. This unique US stock market arrangement is a fixed tradition for the Thanksgiving holiday each year.

Regular Trading Hours and Conversions

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After understanding US stock closure arrangements, you also need to master regular trading hours, especially when in different time zones. This ensures you execute trades during market open periods.

Standard Trading Sessions

The U.S. stock market, mainly referring to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq (NASDAQ), has fixed daily trading sessions. All your regular orders are executed within this time window.

US Stock Core Trading Hours (U.S. Eastern Time ET)

• Opening Time: 9:30 AM
• Closing Time: 4:00 PM

This daily 6.5-hour trading session is when market liquidity is highest and trading is most active.

Daylight Saving Time Trading Hours (Beijing Time)

The U.S. enters daylight saving time (DST) each spring, advancing clocks by one hour. This affects trading times for those in mainland China. The 2026 DST schedule is as follows:

• Start Date: March 8, 2026
• End Date: November 1, 2026

During this period, the time difference between U.S. Eastern and Beijing is 12 hours. Corresponding trading hours are:

• Beijing Time 9:30 PM opening
• Beijing Time 4:00 AM next day closing

Standard Time Trading Hours (Beijing Time)

After DST ends, the U.S. enters standard time, setting clocks back one hour. Starting November 1, 2026, the time difference between U.S. Eastern and Beijing returns to 13 hours.

Corresponding trading hours will be delayed by one hour:

• Beijing Time 10:30 PM opening
• Beijing Time 5:00 AM next day closing

You need to adjust your trading alarms based on these time changes to avoid missing openings.

Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading

Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading. This provides investors with more flexible trading opportunities, especially after earnings releases.

• Pre-Market Trading: Usually from 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM Eastern Time.
• After-Hours Trading: Usually from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

Important Tip: Pre-market and after-hours trading differ greatly from regular sessions. Due to fewer participants, these sessions have lower liquidity, potentially leading to greater price volatility, and bid-ask spreads may be wider. Orders placed during these sessions may execute at prices less favorable than expected. Using tools like Biyapay that provide real-time quotes can help you better track price changes in these sessions.

Now you have mastered all 10 full closure days and 1 early closure day key information for 2026. To make your trading plans more comprehensive, please remember the following practical tips.

Trading Tip: Around long holidays, market trading volume usually decreases. This may lead to lower liquidity and greater price volatility. You should be more cautious when adjusting strategies during these periods, such as considering reducing position sizes to manage risk.

We recommend bookmarking this page or adding this US stock market holiday schedule to your personal calendar. This can help you plan ahead, respond calmly to market changes, and not miss any investment opportunities.

FAQ

Do Mainland China’s Holidays Affect US Stock Trading?

You need to remember that US stocks only follow U.S. federal holidays. Mainland China’s holidays, such as Spring Festival or National Day, do not affect normal US stock trading. You can still buy and sell U.S. stocks as usual on these dates.

Does This Holiday Schedule Apply to All US Stocks?

Yes. This holiday calendar applies to all stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq (NASDAQ). They are the main U.S. stock trading markets where the vast majority of stocks trade.

What Happens If I Place an Order After Early Closure?

Orders submitted after early closure will not execute on that day. They will queue and process according to market conditions when the next full trading day opens.

Are US Stock Closure Dates the Same Every Year?

Not entirely. Dates like Christmas (December 25) are fixed. But many holidays, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day, change dates each year. You need to check the new calendar annually.