Honestly, there is nothing more annoying than waking up, grabbing your coffee, and firing up your brokerage app only to realize the charts aren't moving. You've got your watchlist ready. You saw some news over the weekend. And yet, the "Market Closed" banner is staring you in the face.
So, let's get to it: is the stock market open on Monday? Most Mondays, the answer is a simple yes. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq typically run their standard gauntlet from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. But since we are currently in January 2026, we have a massive exception coming up very soon.
The Big "No" for Monday, January 19, 2026
If you are looking at your calendar for this coming Monday, January 19, the doors are locked. 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 Wall Street keeps humming. It’s a full federal holiday closure. No core trading. No pre-market. No after-hours. If you try to place a market order, it’s basically just going to sit in a queue until Tuesday morning.
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Why This Monday Is Different (And Why Others Aren't)
Usually, the stock market follows a pretty predictable rhythm. Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 4:00.
But the U.S. markets—specifically the NYSE and Nasdaq—observe ten specific holidays throughout the year. Because many of these are governed by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, they tend to cluster on, well, Mondays.
Other Mondays in 2026 where the market stays shut:
- February 16, 2026: Presidents' Day (Washington's Birthday).
- May 25, 2026: Memorial Day.
- September 7, 2026: Labor Day.
If it's just a "regular" Monday like last week (January 12), the market is open. In fact, January 12 was a wild one. Alphabet (GOOGL) actually hit a $4 trillion market cap that day, even while everyone was stressing about the DOJ investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Volatility doesn't take a break on regular Mondays, only on the "official" ones.
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What About the "Other" Markets?
Here is where it gets kinda trippy. Just because the NYSE is closed doesn't mean the whole financial world stops spinning.
- The Bond Market: Usually follows the stock market, but sometimes they close for things the stock market doesn't, like Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day or Veterans Day. On MLK Day, the bond market is closed too.
- Crypto: This literally never stops. Bitcoin doesn't care about Martin Luther King Jr. Day or any other human holiday. If you’re itching to trade on a closed Monday, crypto is basically your only playground.
- International Exchanges: Just because New York is quiet doesn't mean London or Tokyo is. For instance, on Monday, January 12, while we were trading here, Japan was closed for "Coming of Age Day." On January 19, the rest of the world will be trading while we sleep in.
- Futures: These are the "halfway" markets. On holidays like MLK Day, CME Globex futures (like S&P 500 or Oil) often have a truncated schedule. They might open on Sunday night, trade until 1:00 p.m. ET on Monday, pause, and then restart Monday evening for the Tuesday "trade date."
The 24/5 Evolution: Is the "Closed Monday" Dying?
We’re actually living through a weird transition period. Right now, in early 2026, the big exchanges are under a lot of pressure to go 24/7—or at least 24/5.
The SEC has been reviewing proposals to extend trading hours significantly. There’s a lot of talk about the "Consolidated Tape" operating nearly 24 hours a day. Nasdaq has even signaled they want 24/5 capability by the second half of this year.
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So, by the time we get to Labor Day 2026, the question might not be "is the market open?" but rather "which version of the market is open?"
Actionable Tips for Monday Closures
If you realized too late that the market is closed this Monday, don't just stare at a static screen.
- Check your "GTC" orders: Good-til-Canceled orders stay in the system. If a huge news event happens over the long weekend (like a geopolitical shift), those orders might execute at a price you no longer like when the opening bell rings Tuesday.
- Watch the Futures: If you want to know how the market will react to weekend news, watch the S&P 500 E-mini futures on Sunday night. It's the best "crystal ball" we have for Tuesday's open.
- Don't mistake "Pre-Market" for "Open": Even on regular Mondays, the "Core" session doesn't start until 9:30 a.m. ET. Trading at 7:00 a.m. is thin, dangerous, and prone to "fake-outs."
Basically, if it’s January 19, 2026, take the day off. The computers are off, the traders are at brunch, and your portfolio isn't going anywhere until Tuesday morning at 9:30 sharp.
Since the market is closed this coming Monday, you might want to spend the time reviewing your strategy for the rest of Q1. I can help you break down the historical performance of the S&P 500 following January holiday breaks or look up the specific earnings calendar for the week of January 20.