Is the Stock Market Open on Veterans Day Tomorrow?

Yes, the stock market is open for normal trading hours on Veterans Day. If that surprises you, you’re not alone. With post offices, banks, and federal buildings closed for the day, it’s natural to assume Wall Street takes a break, too. The reason for the different schedule, however, comes down to a simple fact that many investors don’t realize.

The stock market isn’t a government agency. Instead, the major U.S. exchanges—the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq—are private companies. Because of this, they create and follow their own NYSE holiday calendar and set their own NASDAQ trading hours on federal holidays, independent of the government’s schedule. Their decision to stay open is a business one, based on their own operating rules and global market considerations.

Here’s an easy way to remember it: Think of the NYSE like a major retailer such as Target or Walmart. The government can declare a national holiday, but the individual company ultimately decides whether to open its doors for business. While the stock exchanges observe major holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, they have chosen to operate as usual on Veterans Day, meaning you can buy and sell shares just like on any other business day.

What’s Closed on Veterans Day? A Look at the Bond Market

So if the stock market is humming along, why do you sometimes hear news reports that financial markets are closed? This is the core of the confusion, and the answer lies in a different corner of the financial world: the bond market.

While the stock market deals with shares of ownership in companies, the bond market is where government and corporate debt is bought and sold. It operates on a separate recommendation schedule. For holidays like Veterans Day, an influential industry group called SIFMA (the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) recommends that the bond market close for the day. Banks and other major financial institutions follow this guidance, effectively halting the trading of most bonds.

This is why you can get conflicting information. When you hear “the markets are closed,” it’s often referring to the bond market. Meanwhile, when you hear “the markets are open,” it’s referring to the stock market. Knowing the difference between these two helps clear up the confusion not just for Veterans Day, but for a few other holidays as well.

The Official 2024 Stock Market Holiday Calendar: What to Know

Now that you know the stock market sets its own schedule, what days are actually off-limits for trading? Instead of following the federal government’s calendar, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq publish their own official list. For 2024, there are only nine holidays that result in a full market closure.

Here is the definitive US stock market holiday schedule for 2024, when all trading is halted:

• 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

Beyond these full-day closures, the market also has “early close” days. On these dates, the market operates on a shortened schedule and typically closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For 2024, the market will close early the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 29) and on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, December 24). This unique calendar—which includes holidays that aren’t federal (like Good Friday) and excludes others that are (like Veterans Day)—is exactly why it’s helpful to know the specific rules for the stock market.

Veterans Day vs. Columbus Day vs. Good Friday: Understanding the Differences

Looking at the official market holiday list often brings up more questions than it answers. You might wonder why the stock market is open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day when your local post office is closed. The reason goes back to the core idea that the stock exchanges are private businesses. Just like any company, they decide which holidays are disruptive enough to their operations to warrant a full shutdown, and they have chosen to remain open on those federal holidays.

On the other hand, you’ll notice one closure that isn’t a federal holiday at all: Good Friday. So, is Good Friday a stock market holiday? Yes, it is, and this decision highlights the market’s independence. This particular closure is a long-standing tradition, showing that the history of stock market holiday closures is based on its own customs and operational needs, not just government calendars. It’s one of the clearest examples of the market setting its own unique schedule.

Ultimately, these contrasting examples prove there is no simple formula connecting federal and market holidays. Some align (like Memorial Day), some don’t (like Veterans Day), and some are unique to the market (like Good Friday). This distinction is crucial, because while stock trading might be happening, other financial institutions operate on a different schedule.

Are Banks and Government Offices Closed on Veterans Day?

Yes, your local bank branch and the post office will be closed. As a federal holiday, all non-essential federal government offices shut down, and most banks follow the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule, which includes Veterans Day. This widespread closure is what creates the natural assumption that stock markets would be closed, too, which is why are government offices closed on Veterans Day is such a common follow-up question.

The key difference lies in their roles. Banks are tied to the federal banking system’s calendar, but stock exchanges are private marketplaces that set their own schedules. Think of it this way: the vault holding your money may be locked for the day, but the store where you can trade shares has decided to stay open for business. The market’s operations don’t depend on a physical bank branch being open.

Fortunately, this means your online brokerage account will work normally. Your trading schedule for Veterans Day week is unaffected, as your platform connects directly to the open exchanges. Since the rules for stock market vs bank holidays can be confusing, the best strategy is to stop guessing and go straight to the source.

Never Guess Again: How to Find the Official Stock Market Holiday Schedule

Now that you understand the fundamental difference—that the stock market is a private enterprise with its own calendar—you can avoid any future holiday confusion.

The best strategy is to go straight to the source. Search for the “NYSE holiday calendar” or “NASDAQ trading hours” and bookmark the official pages. This one-time action gives you a reliable US stock market closures guide for the stock market holiday schedule 2024 and beyond, so you always have the definitive answer.