You wake up, coffee in hand, ready to check your portfolio. You open the app. Nothing. The numbers aren't moving. You check the clock—9:31 AM Eastern—and wonder if your Wi-Fi died. It didn’t. Most likely, you just forgot about the calendar. If you're asking is stock market closed on monday, the answer depends entirely on which Monday we are talking about, because Wall Street doesn't follow the same rules as your local post office or even your bank.
Markets are finicky.
Honestly, the confusion usually stems from the fact that "Federal Holiday" does not always equal "Market Holiday." For example, the stock market stays wide open on Veterans Day and Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day), even while banks are locked up tight. But if today is Monday, January 19, 2026, then yes, the NYSE and Nasdaq are completely shuttered for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The 2026 Monday Shutdown List
If you are planning your trades for the year, you need to know which Mondays are dead zones. In 2026, several major holidays fall on a Monday, which means the heavy hitters like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq will not be trading.
- January 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Closed)
- February 16, 2026: Presidents' Day (Closed)
- May 25, 2026: Memorial Day (Closed)
- September 7, 2026: Labor Day (Closed)
There's a weird psychological thing that happens on these days. People expect the "Monday Effect"—that typical start-of-the-week volatility—but instead, they get a three-day weekend. If you're a day trader, these are the days you actually have to go outside.
What about the "Observed" Rule?
Here is where it gets kinda tricky. The stock market hates being closed. If a holiday like July 4th falls on a Saturday, the market usually closes on the Friday before. If it falls on a Sunday, they close the following Monday. In 2026, Independence Day is a Saturday, so the market observes it on Friday, July 3. That means Monday, July 6, is actually a normal trading day.
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You’ve gotta stay sharp on these nuances.
Is Stock Market Closed on Monday for International Investors?
If you're trading global equities, a US holiday is just a minor speed bump. While the NYSE is closed, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) or the Tokyo Stock Exchange might be screaming with activity.
But there’s a catch.
Because the US market is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla, liquidity often dries up worldwide when New York goes dark. Even if the LSE is open, you might notice that price movements are sluggish. It's like a party where the DJ didn't show up; people are there, but nobody’s really dancing.
Crypto Never Sleeps
If you are a crypto enthusiast, the question is stock market closed on monday is basically irrelevant. Bitcoin doesn't care about Martin Luther King Jr. or Labor Day. 24/7/365. That’s the rhythm. This creates a weird dynamic where crypto volatility can actually spike on market holidays because bored stock traders migrate over to Coinbase or Binance just to feel something.
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Bond Markets vs. Stock Markets: The Great Divide
Don't assume that because the NYSE is closed, the bond market is doing the same thing. Usually, they align, but the bond market (overseen by SIFMA) is a bit more conservative.
On some days, the bond market might close early at 2:00 PM while the stock market stays open until 4:00 PM. However, for the major Monday holidays like MLK Day or Memorial Day, both are usually in sync and closed. If you’re trying to hedge with Treasuries on a holiday Monday, you’re probably out of luck.
Why Market Holidays Actually Matter for Your Strategy
You might think a closed market is just a day off. It's not.
Smart investors look at the "Pre-Holiday" and "Post-Holiday" trends. There is a documented phenomenon called the "Holiday Effect." Historically, the stock market has shown a tendency to gain value on the last trading day before a long holiday weekend.
Why? Maybe people are optimistic. Maybe they’re just happy to be leaving the office.
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Whatever the reason, if you're asking is stock market closed on monday, you should also be asking what happened on the Friday before. Low volume on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend can lead to exaggerated price swings. If a big news story breaks on a Saturday, and the market is closed Monday, that pent-up energy explodes on Tuesday morning.
That's when you see the "Gaps."
A "Gap Up" or "Gap Down" occurs when a stock opens at a significantly different price than it closed. These are common on Tuesday mornings after a holiday Monday. If you have open positions, those three days of silence can be stressful.
Actionable Steps for the Next Market Holiday
- Check the SIFMA and NYSE Calendars: Don't guess. Bookmark the official 2026 holiday schedules.
- Adjust Your Limit Orders: If you have "Good 'Til Canceled" (GTC) orders, remember they won't trigger on a closed Monday. However, the world still moves, and news could change the value of your trade by Tuesday morning.
- Monitor Global Markets: Use a Monday holiday to see how the Nikkei or FTSE 100 reacts to news without the US influence. It's a great "control group" for your market research.
- Audit Your Portfolio: Use the forced downtime to stop staring at the 1-minute candles. Look at your long-term thesis. Is it still valid?
The stock market might be closed, but the economy never stops. Use the silence to get a leg up on the traders who are just sleeping in.