Is the Stock Market Open on MLK Day? (2026 Guide)

If you have the day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and were thinking about buying a few shares, you’ll find the markets are quiet. No, the stock market is not open on MLK Day. Both of the major U.S. stock exchanges, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq, are fully closed in observance of the holiday.

This shutdown isn’t just a matter of tradition; it’s a practical necessity. Because MLK Day is a federal banking holiday, the systems needed to process and move money for trades are offline. NYSE trading hours on Martin Luther King Day are zero, and any trade orders you place will be queued until the market reopens.

Wondering what other days the market takes off? We’ll cover what happens to your pending trades and provide a complete US stock market closures guide to help you plan for the rest of the year.

Why the Stock Market Takes the Day Off on MLK Day

The simplest reason why markets are closed for MLK Day is that their financial plumbing gets turned off. While major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are private companies, they are completely dependent on the U.S. banking system to operate. Every trade requires money to actually move from a buyer’s account to a seller’s, and that process relies on the banks.

Think of it like a supermarket that can’t run its cash registers. You can walk around and fill your cart, but if the payment systems are down, no one can actually buy or sell anything. On federal holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the entire banking network is offline. This means the stock market’s “payment system” is effectively closed for business.

Because of this deep connection, the stock exchanges officially recognize MLK Day as a market holiday. It’s a necessary pause because the underlying infrastructure for settling trades isn’t running.

What Happens If You Place a Stock Order on a Market Holiday?

If you have the day off and decide to buy or sell a few shares, only to remember the market is closed, many modern trading apps will still let you submit an order. It won’t go through immediately. Instead, your order enters a “queued” or “pending” status. Think of it like scheduling an email to be sent tomorrow morning; your instruction is saved and waiting for the system to come back online.

That trade will wait patiently until the market reopens. For a holiday like MLK Day, your order will be ready to execute at the market’s opening bell on Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Even pre-market trading, which typically starts much earlier on a normal day, does not happen on market holidays. Your order is truly on hold until the next official trading session begins.

Critically, the price of the stock can change between when you place the order and when it actually executes. If news comes out overnight, the stock you wanted to buy for $50 per share on Monday might open at $52 on Tuesday. This potential for price movement is a key risk to consider when planning stock trades around holidays. By being aware of this, you can avoid any surprises when your trade finally goes through.

The 2026 NYSE & Nasdaq Holiday Schedule

To help you plan ahead and avoid any trading surprises, both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq share the same calendar of closures. This is the official US stock market closures guide for 2026 that you can save for future reference.

Here is the full list of stock market holidays for 2026:

• New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
• Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 16
• Good Friday: Friday, April 3
• Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
• Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19
• Independence Day: Friday, July 3 (observed)
• Labor Day: Monday, September 7
• Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
• Christmas Day: Friday, December 25

Beyond these full-day closures, be aware of a few days with an early close. The most common is the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), when the market typically shuts down at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. You might notice that some federal holidays are missing from this list, while others, like Good Friday, are included. This difference is a common point of confusion for investors.

Are All Federal Holidays Stock Market Holidays? Not Always

That list of closures often raises a key question: if it’s a federal holiday, is the stock market automatically closed? The answer is a surprising no. The schedule for federal holidays and stock market holidays isn’t a perfect match. For example, while post offices and federal offices close for Veterans Day and Columbus Day, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are open for business, operating on their normal trading hours.

On the other hand, the market takes a day off that isn’t a federal holiday at all: Good Friday. This closure is rooted in long-standing tradition within the U.S. financial industry and has remained part of the NYSE’s official schedule for decades.

Because of these key differences, never assume the market is open or closed based on the federal calendar alone. The official schedule published by the NYSE is the only definitive source.

Are Banks and Bond Markets Also Closed on MLK Day?

Yes, banks are definitely closed. Because Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday, all U.S. banks are shut down for the day. This is the critical piece of the puzzle. The stock market relies on the banking system to process the enormous flow of money required for trades to be completed. When the banks are offline, the machinery that powers the stock market can’t run, making it necessary for the exchanges to close as well.

This financial shutdown extends beyond just stocks. The U.S. bond market—a separate marketplace for trading debt from governments and corporations—is also closed on MLK Day. Its schedule is guided by recommendations from SIFMA, the securities industry’s main trade group, which advises a full closure for the holiday. This ensures that the entire U.S. financial system is largely in sync.

Finally, a complete market holiday means there is no pre-market or after-hours trading, either. While these extended sessions offer some flexibility on normal trading days, they are fully suspended when the market is officially closed. With stocks, bonds, and banks all taking the day off, the long weekend presents an opportunity to plan your financial moves without the pressure of a ticking clock.

How to Plan Your Finances Around a Three-Day Market Weekend

If you’re planning to sell stocks to free up some cash, a three-day market weekend adds an important wrinkle to your timing. When you sell a stock, the money isn’t available to withdraw instantly—it typically takes a couple of business days to process. A market holiday like MLK Day essentially pauses that countdown, stretching the waiting period even further.

For instance, if you sell a stock on the Friday before a long weekend, the standard process to finalize the trade and make the cash available won’t even begin until the market reopens on Tuesday. This means the money from your sale might not be ready for withdrawal until Thursday, instead of the Wednesday you might have expected. That one-day delay can make a real difference if you have a time-sensitive payment.

Always glance at a calendar for market holidays before making trades you’re counting on for cash. This small planning step ensures you don’t get caught in a bind.

Your Quick-Check Guide for Trading on Holiday Weeks

Planning your stock trades around holidays is far more straightforward with a simple mental checklist. Before any long weekend, confirm the market’s status on the official holiday schedule and decide if you need to make a move or access funds before the closure.

This small habit transforms you from a reactive observer into a prepared investor. By knowing the market’s rhythm, you can plan your financial moves with confidence, ensuring you’re never caught off guard again.