Is the Stock Market Open on Thanksgiving?

Planning your holiday and wondering, “Is the stock market open on Thanksgiving?” The simple and immediate answer is no. Just like banks and the post office, the U.S. stock market completely closes down to observe the national holiday, so you can enjoy your turkey with total peace of mind.

This official closure applies to both of the major exchanges, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq. That means no trading activity occurs, and the value of your 401(k) or other investments will be paused for the day. It’s a full, well-deserved break for everyone from professional traders to casual investors.

However, the pause is short-lived. The market reopens the next morning on Black Friday, but it doesn’t run for a full day. Both the NYSE and Nasdaq operate on a special holiday schedule, opening at their usual 9:30 a.m. but closing early at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

What About Black Friday? Understanding the ‘Early Close’ Day

The day after Thanksgiving—widely known as Black Friday—is one of the handful of “early close” days on the stock market’s calendar. Instead of the usual 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) closing bell, trading on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq halts at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The opening time remains the same at 9:30 a.m. ET, making for a brief but active trading session. Think of it as a half-day at the office before a long holiday weekend—a long-standing Wall Street tradition that balances commerce with holiday time.

Why Are Stock Exchanges Closed on Federal Holidays?

You might assume that because Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, the government mandates the stock market’s closure. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. The stock market holiday schedule is actually set by the private exchanges themselves, like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq. While their calendars almost always align with major U.S. holidays, it’s their decision to make.

So, why do they choose to close? The main reason is that the stock market depends on the entire U.S. banking system to function. For any stock trade to be completed, money must be able to move between accounts and institutions. Since the Federal Reserve banking system and major commercial banks are closed on federal holidays, the essential plumbing of the financial world is effectively shut down.

This process of officially transferring securities and cash is called “settlement.” If the markets were open while banks were closed, you could click “buy” on a stock, but the money wouldn’t actually go through to complete the transaction. To avoid this kind of gridlock and potential risk, the exchanges simply align their schedules with the banks.

Your Complete 2024 U.S. Stock Market Holiday Guide

Beyond Thanksgiving, the exchanges observe a full calendar of closures. For anyone planning around market access, here is the complete stock market holiday schedule for 2024. The U.S. stock market will be fully closed on these ten days:

• 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 National Independence Day: Wednesday, June 19
• Independence Day: Thursday, July 4
• Labor Day: Monday, September 2
• Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28
• Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25

In addition to full-day closures, there are three US stock market early close days scheduled for 2024. On these dates, the market will close at 1 p.m. Eastern Time: Wednesday, July 3 (the day before Independence Day); Friday, November 29 (Black Friday); and Tuesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). This schedule ensures that traders and the banking systems they rely on get a predictable break.

Are Bond Markets Open the Day After Thanksgiving?

While the stock market has a straightforward early close on Black Friday, the bond market operates on a slightly different rhythm. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) recommends that the U.S. bond market also closes early the day after Thanksgiving, but typically at 2 p.m. ET—an hour later than the stock market.

Here’s the more significant difference: the bond market’s holiday break often starts even earlier. SIFMA also recommends an early 2 p.m. ET close on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. This is a day when the stock market is open for a full session, a key distinction for anyone watching broader financial markets. This recommendation is widely followed because trading volume tends to drop significantly as people begin holiday travel.

These differing schedules highlight that not all parts of the financial world follow the same clock. This leads to a common question for investors: how do these closures affect personal accounts like a 401(k)?

How Holiday Closures Affect Your Trades and 401(k)

For most people with a 401(k) or other long-term investments, market closures are like hitting a pause button. Your portfolio’s value is simply on hold until trading resumes, and there is nothing you need to do. Think of your investments as taking the day off right along with you.

But what if you decide you want to buy or sell a stock during the holiday? You can still place an order through your online brokerage account, but it will enter an order queue. That order will then be executed when the market reopens, whether that’s Friday morning or the following Monday.

It’s also worth noting that the entire Thanksgiving week often has lower trading volume. With fewer people buying and selling shares, prices can sometimes be more volatile. While this is something professional traders monitor, it’s generally just background noise for the average long-term investor.

Do International Stock Markets Close for U.S. Thanksgiving?

The short answer is a clear no. Because Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, international stock markets operate on their normal schedules. Financial centers like London, Tokyo, and Frankfurt are completely unaffected, running a full business day while Wall Street is quiet.

This means that trading activity carries on as usual across Europe and Asia. Investors in those regions will be buying and selling shares of their local companies, and global economic news will continue to develop. The financial world is always moving somewhere.

For the vast majority of U.S. investors, however, this has no practical effect. Your domestic stocks and funds are paused, so you can’t act on any international news anyway. It simply reinforces that you can truly unplug.

Your Thanksgiving Market Checklist: Relax and Enjoy the Break

With the stock market’s holiday schedule clear, you can plan your Thanksgiving week with confidence. Here is a simple checklist for your reference:

✅ Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024): U.S. Stock & Bond Markets — FULLY CLOSED.
✅ Day After Thanksgiving (Friday, Nov. 29, 2024): U.S. Stock Market — OPEN with an EARLY CLOSE at 1 p.m. ET.

Now you can confidently put your financial thoughts on the back burner. Wall Street is taking a break, and that means you can, too. So enjoy the holiday—the market will be there when you get back.