You've probably got your coffee ready, your charts pulled up, and a plan for your Monday morning trades. But then you realize the date. January 19, 2026.
The short answer? No, the stock market is not open tomorrow.
Since tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the major U.S. exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq are taking the day off. It’s the first "long weekend" of the year for Wall Street, coming just a few weeks after the New Year’s break. Honestly, if you try to place a market order tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. ET, it’s just going to sit there until Tuesday.
Why the market is taking a breather
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States, and the stock market almost always follows the federal lead on this one. It’s not just about the big guys in New York, either. Most of the financial plumbing—the banks, the bond markets, and the government offices—will also be closed.
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Specifically, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) has recommended that the U.S. bond markets stay closed on Monday, January 19. If the bonds aren't moving, the stocks usually aren't either.
What about futures and crypto?
This is where things get a little weird. If you’re a crypto trader, you already know the drill: Bitcoin never sleeps. Crypto exchanges like Coinbase or Binance will be running exactly like they do on any other Monday. There is no such thing as a "holiday" in the blockchain world.
Futures are a different beast. While the main stock market is closed, CME Globex (where people trade S&P 500 or Gold futures) often operates on a modified schedule. Usually, they'll trade until about 1:00 p.m. ET on holidays like this and then shut down until the evening session starts back up. If you're planning on playing the futures, definitely check your specific broker’s platform, because those "half-day" sessions can be low-liquidity and pretty volatile.
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The 2026 Market Holiday Calendar
If you're trying to plan out the rest of your year, it’s helpful to know when these breaks happen. Wall Street doesn't actually close as often as you might think. For instance, they stay open on Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day) and Veterans Day, even though banks are closed then.
Here is a look at the major closures for the rest of 2026:
- Presidents’ Day: Monday, Feb. 16
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (Observed): Friday, July 3
- Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 7
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, Nov. 26 (with an early close on Nov. 27)
- Christmas Day: Friday, Dec. 25
One thing to keep an eye on: the "Early Close" days. Usually, on the day after Thanksgiving or the day before certain holidays, the market shuts down at 1:00 p.m. ET. Those are notoriously "thin" trading days where not much happens, but if a big news story breaks, the price swings can be massive because there aren't many traders at their desks.
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Does a Monday closure affect the rest of the week?
Some traders swear by "holiday effects." Basically, the idea is that the market tends to be a bit more "bullish" or optimistic leading into a long weekend. But honestly? The Tuesday after MLK Day is often a game of catch-up.
Since the U.S. was closed on Monday, we’ve spent 24 hours watching how Europe and Asia reacted to whatever news happened over the weekend. When the NYSE bell rings at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, you might see a "gap" in prices as the market tries to price in everything it missed while we were away.
Actionable steps for tomorrow
Since you can't trade, here’s how to actually spend the time productively:
- Review your YTD performance: We’re nearly three weeks into 2026. Is your portfolio doing what you thought it would?
- Set your alerts: Since you can't trade tomorrow, go into your brokerage app (like Schwab, Fidelity, or Robinhood) and set price alerts for the stocks you're watching. That way, you're ready for the Tuesday open.
- Clean up your watchlist: Most of us have dozens of tickers on our watchlist from three years ago that we don't even care about anymore. Delete the clutter.
- Check the earnings calendar: Late January is typically the start of a heavy earnings season. Look up when your major holdings are reporting their Q4 2025 results so you aren't caught off guard later this week.
The markets will reopen for regular trading hours—9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET—on Tuesday morning. Enjoy the day off.