Is 15 November a Stock Market Holiday?
The short answer is no, 15 November is not a stock market holiday. The US stock market is fully open for business. Think of the major markets, like the New York Stock Exchange, as giant supermarkets—they have set hours and only close for a handful of specific holidays, which can make their schedule surprisingly tricky to track.
Ever wonder why the stock market is open on a federal holiday when post offices and banks might be closed? This is a common point of confusion. In practice, the market follows its own unique calendar that doesn’t always align with government or school schedules, leading many to ask, “Is the stock market open today?”
This guide provides a complete list of official market holidays for the year, explains the few days with special early closures, and gives you the resources to check the schedule with confidence anytime you plan to make a trade.
The Official 2024 U.S. Stock Market Holiday Calendar
To avoid the surprise of a closed market, it helps to know the official schedule. The U.S. stock market observes ten holidays each year, which is a different calendar than most schools or government offices follow. Knowing these key dates ensures you can plan any trades without hitting a roadblock.
Here is the full list of 2024 trading holidays, which are days the market is fully closed:
- New Year’s Day: Monday, January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 15
- Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 19
- Good Friday: Friday, March 29
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 27
- Juneteenth: Wednesday, June 19
- Independence Day: Thursday, July 4
- Labor Day: Monday, September 2
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28
- Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25
This NYSE and NASDAQ holiday schedule is the official calendar for the country’s two largest stock exchanges. Because they follow the same list, you don’t have to worry about tracking different dates for different markets. You might notice, however, that some federal holidays like Veterans Day aren’t included, which often raises the question of why the market remains open.
Why Is the Market Open on Veterans Day? Federal vs. Market Holidays Explained
It can be confusing when you notice the stock market is open on a day you might have off from work or school, like Veterans Day. This highlights a key difference: stock market holidays and federal holidays are not the same thing. While there’s plenty of overlap, the market sets its own schedule based on one crucial factor.
The reason for this difference comes down to the banking system. For stock trades to happen, money has to move between banks. If the underlying banking and payment systems that support Wall Street aren’t running, then trading can’t be reliably settled. Because of this, the stock market’s schedule is designed to align almost perfectly with U.S. banking holidays.
This banking connection is precisely why the stock market is open on Veterans Day and Columbus Day. Although these are federal holidays where post offices close, the major banks typically remain open for business. Since the banks are operating, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ can function normally, allowing buying and selling to continue as usual.
The key takeaway is this: if it’s a major banking holiday, the stock market will almost certainly be closed. This simple rule explains why the list of market holidays is shorter than the full federal calendar. Beyond full-day closures, however, there are also a few special days where the market shuts down early.
What Are Stock Market “Early Close” Days?
In addition to full holidays, the stock market schedule includes a few special “early close” days. Think of it like a retail store shutting its doors a few hours early on the day before a major holiday. On these specific dates, trading opens as usual in the morning but halts much earlier than the normal 4:00 PM closing bell, giving everyone an early start to their holiday weekend.
So, which days should you watch out for? The most consistent of these early close days for the stock market is the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday). A similar early closing often happens on the day before Independence Day (July 3rd). On these half-days, the stock market early close time is 1:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), giving you a shorter window to buy or sell.
Knowing about these adjusted Thanksgiving stock market hours helps you plan any last-minute trades. It’s a small but important detail in the market’s calendar, which, as we’ve seen, is heavily influenced by the banking system. But while the schedules are closely aligned, they aren’t always a perfect one-to-one match.
Are Banks and the Stock Market Always Closed on the Same Days?
For the most part, the rule that stock markets follow the banking system’s lead holds true. If you’re ever wondering are banks closed on stock market holidays, the answer is almost always yes. This alignment is what keeps the financial world running smoothly. However, there is one major exception to this rule that catches many people by surprise.
The most notable difference is Good Friday. Every year, the Good Friday stock market closure is a firm date on the calendar for both the NYSE and NASDAQ. Yet, on that same day, the vast majority of banks across the country remain open for business. This is the single biggest divergence between the two schedules and a perfect example of why you can’t rely on the banking calendar alone.
To add one more wrinkle, other parts of the financial system have their own schedules. The bond market holiday calendar, for instance, includes more closed days than the stock market, often shutting down on days like Columbus Day and Veterans Day. This shows that while connected, each part of the U.S. financial system operates on its own official rhythm, making it essential to check the specific calendar for the market you’re interested in.
How to Check the Official NYSE & NASDAQ Calendars for Yourself
The absolute best place to get the final word on market holidays is straight from the source. This ensures you’re always looking at the most current information, as schedules can occasionally change. Think of it like checking a store’s official website for its holiday hours instead of just relying on a general Google search.
The two main U.S. stock exchanges, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ, post their calendars publicly. Since they observe the same holidays, you only need to check one. You can find the official New York Stock Exchange official holidays list directly on their site. Similarly, the NASDAQ holiday schedule 2024 offers the same clear, easy-to-read calendar. We recommend bookmarking one of these pages for future reference.
By going directly to the source, you can confidently plan your trades without any guesswork. It’s the fastest and most reliable way to know if the market is open. But knowing the market is closed leads to another key question: what can you actually do with your investments when trading is paused?
What Can You Do When the Stock Market Is Closed?
Just because the market’s doors are shut doesn’t mean your brokerage account is completely off-limits. You can still log in, review your portfolio, and even decide to buy or sell a stock. Think of it like online shopping after a store has closed for the night. You can browse, add an item to your cart, and place your order, but nothing will actually be processed or shipped until the business reopens. This is a great way to act on a decision without having to wait by your computer.
Similarly, any trade you “place” on a holiday or weekend is simply queued up by your broker. When the market reopens, your order is then sent to be filled. It’s important to remember that your trade will execute at the price available when the market opens, not the price you saw when you placed the order during the holiday. This is why many investors use these quiet days more for thoughtful planning than for trying to time a specific price.
Beyond queuing up trades, a market holiday is the perfect, pressure-free time to take stock of your financial goals. You can research companies you’re interested in or review your portfolio’s performance without the distraction of constantly changing numbers. While some advanced investors use pre-market or after-hours sessions on regular days, these are generally not an option on full market holidays. Using the downtime for strategy is often the smartest move you can make.
Your 3-Step Checklist to Never Be Surprised by a Market Closure Again
You’re no longer left guessing about market closures. Instead of searching for an answer day-by-day, you now understand the simple logic behind the stock market holiday schedule, turning confusion into confidence.
To put this knowledge into action, use this simple mental checklist to quickly determine when the stock market is closed:
- Is it a major national holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving? (It’s likely closed).
- Is it a lesser federal holiday like Veterans Day? (It’s likely open).
- When in doubt, always check the official NYSE calendar for certainty.
This isn’t just about knowing the status of a single day. You are now equipped with a reliable framework to plan your financial moves with confidence, ensuring you’re never caught off guard by trading holidays again.