If you’re sitting at your desk this morning, coffee in hand, wondering why your tickers aren’t flickering, I’ve got the answer for you. It’s a ghost town on Wall Street today. Honestly, it catches someone off guard every single year.
The short version? The stock market is closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This isn't just a "bank holiday" where the mail doesn't show up but the brokers keep grinding. The Big Two—the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq—are completely shut down. No opening bell. No closing auction. Just silence in the canyons of Lower Manhattan.
Whether you’re a day trader looking for liquidity or a long-term investor just checking your 401(k), here’s the breakdown of what is actually happening in the financial world today.
Is the Stock Market Open on Martin Luther Day? (The 2026 Schedule)
For 2026, the holiday falls on January 19. Because this is a federal holiday, the U.S. equity markets take the full day off.
You’ve probably noticed that some holidays are "observed" on different days if they fall on a weekend. Luckily, in 2026, MLK Day lands right on a Monday, so there’s no confusion about Friday or Tuesday shifts. The markets close when the sun goes down on Friday, January 16, and they won't breathe again until 9:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, January 20.
What about the "Other" Markets?
It's not just stocks. The bond market—which is overseen by SIFMA (the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association)—is also closed. In fact, bond traders often get an even better deal; the bond market typically has an early close at 2:00 p.m. ET on the Friday preceding the holiday.
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Futures are a different beast. If you trade oil, gold, or S&P 500 futures (ES), you’ll see abbreviated hours. Most CME Group products trade until about 1:00 p.m. ET on the holiday and then halt until the evening session. Basically, if you’re trying to hedge a position mid-afternoon on Monday, you’re likely out of luck.
Why Wall Street Takes This Day Specifically
It’s easy to forget that the stock market hasn’t always closed for MLK Day. It became a federal holiday in 1983 when Ronald Reagan signed it into law, but the NYSE didn't actually start observing it until 1998.
For a long time, there was a bit of a tug-of-war between the exchange’s tradition of staying open and the growing cultural push to honor Dr. King’s legacy. Nowadays, it’s a non-negotiable part of the 10-holiday schedule the markets follow.
Interestingly, the list of market holidays is shorter than the list of federal holidays. For example, the market stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day, even though the post office and many banks take those days off. If you’re ever in doubt, just remember: if it’s MLK Day, Juneteenth, or Labor Day, the floor is definitely empty.
What Happens to Your Trades?
So, you placed a limit order on Sunday night? It’s just going to sit there.
Since there is no "Regular Trading Session," your order won't trigger until the Tuesday morning open. This is actually a point of risk for some people. If big news breaks in Europe or Asia over the long weekend, the U.S. markets might "gap" up or down on Tuesday morning.
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Pro Tip: If you have active stop-losses or limit orders, check them on Monday night. A lot can change in 72 hours of global news, and you don’t want to be surprised by a 2% jump or drop the second the bell rings on Tuesday.
Common Misconceptions About Holiday Trading
I hear a lot of weird theories about what happens when the market is closed. Some people think "dark pools" or institutional "after-hours" desks are still trading behind the scenes.
Nope.
When the NYSE and Nasdaq say they are closed, the primary matching engines are powered down. While some international exchanges (like the LSE in London or the Nikkei in Tokyo) are open and trading their own local companies, you won't be able to trade Apple or Tesla on their home turf.
Crypto, however, never sleeps. If you're itching for action, Bitcoin and Ethereum markets stay open 24/7/365. Just keep in mind that crypto volatility can get weird on U.S. holidays because the "institutional money" is at home grilling burgers or catching up on sleep, leading to lower liquidity.
The "Holiday Effect" – Does it Exist?
Quantitative analysts have spent years trying to figure out if there's a "Martin Luther King Day trade." Some researchers, like those at Quantified Strategies, have backtested the data from 1998 to now.
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The results? Kinda boring.
Unlike the "Santa Claus Rally" or the "January Effect," MLK Day doesn't really show a consistent bullish or bearish bias. The days leading up to it are usually pretty quiet, and the Tuesday after is often just a game of "catch up" with whatever happened in the world while we were away.
Actionable Steps for the Long Weekend
Since you can't hit the "buy" button today, use the time effectively. Most successful traders don't just walk away; they prep.
- Audit your portfolio: Check your allocations without the stress of moving prices. Is your tech weight too high?
- Review the earnings calendar: Late January is the heart of earnings season. See which big players (like the banks or big tech) are reporting later in the week.
- Clean up your watchlist: Delete the "meme stocks" you’ve been hovering over but will never actually buy.
- Set Alerts: Instead of hovering over the screen on Tuesday, set price alerts now so your phone tells you when a stock hits your "buy" zone.
The market being closed is actually a gift. It forces a pause in a world that usually moves at 100 mph. Take the break, enjoy the day, and get your plan ready for Tuesday morning.
Your Next Step: Log into your brokerage account today and check your "Pending Orders" tab. Any orders placed over the weekend will be marked as "Open" or "Queued" for Tuesday morning—make sure you still actually want those trades to execute before the 9:30 a.m. ET open.