So, you’re staring at a chart, your finger is hovering over the "buy" button, and you suddenly realize you have no idea if the "open" sign is actually hanging on the door of the New York Stock Exchange. Honestly, we've all been there. It’s Friday, January 16, 2026, and if you’re asking about tomorrow—Saturday, January 17—the answer is a pretty firm no.
The US stock market is never open on Saturdays. Or Sundays. It’s basically the one time Wall Street actually sleeps.
But there is a massive catch. While the "regular" market where you buy Apple or Tesla shares is closed, the money never really stops moving. There’s this whole world of futures, crypto, and overseas markets that keep the gears turning while you're probably out getting brunch or catching up on sleep.
The Short Answer: Is the US stock market open tomorrow?
No. If tomorrow is Saturday, January 17, 2026, the US stock market is closed.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq follow a very strict Monday-through-Friday schedule. They open the doors at 9:30 a.m. ET and shut them down at 4:00 p.m. ET. If it’s a weekend, the building is dark, the floor is empty, and the electronic matching engines are (mostly) taking a breather.
But wait—don't close this tab yet. Because next week is a weird one.
Monday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Even though it’s a Monday, the stock market will be closed then, too. That means you’re looking at a three-day weekend where you can't trade regular stocks. If you place an order on your phone on Saturday morning, it’s just going to sit there in a "pending" state until the opening bell rings on Tuesday morning, January 20.
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What Happens if You Try to Trade on a Saturday?
Let’s say you’ve just read some breaking news and you’re convinced a certain stock is going to moon. You open your brokerage app on Saturday. You can technically hit "Trade" and "Confirm."
Your broker won't stop you from clicking the button. But they aren't actually buying the stock for you right then. Instead, your order goes into a "queue." It’s like putting a letter in a mailbox on a Sunday; the post office doesn't move it until Monday morning.
The danger here is the "weekend gap." A stock might close at $100 on Friday afternoon. Over the weekend, something happens—a CEO tweet, a geopolitical shift, whatever. On Tuesday morning, that stock might "gap up" and open at $110. If you put in a "market order" on Saturday, you’re going to buy it at $110, not the $100 price you saw on your screen.
The Markets That Never Actually Sleep
If you’re a total "degenerate" trader (and I say that with love), you know that Saturday isn't actually a day off for everyone.
1. The Crypto Chaos
Cryptocurrency is the 24/7/365 outlier. Bitcoin doesn't care about Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It doesn't care that it's 3:00 a.m. on a Sunday. If you want to trade crypto tomorrow, you can. In fact, weekend volatility in crypto is notorious because there’s less "big money" (institutional) liquidity to keep prices stable.
2. Stock Futures
This is where the pros watch for "tells" about how the market will open. Index futures (like the S&P 500 E-minis) usually stop trading on Friday afternoon but kick back into gear on Sunday night around 6:00 p.m. ET. If you want to know how the market is feeling about the world before Tuesday morning, watch the futures on Sunday night.
3. Foreign Markets
The US is the big dog, but it’s not the only dog. Markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London have their own schedules. However, since the US is observing a holiday weekend, many international traders will also pull back on volume because so much of the global economy is tied to what happens on Wall Street.
2026 Market Holidays: Mark Your Calendar
It’s easy to get tripped up by these. Here is a quick look at when the market is definitely staying closed for the rest of the first half of 2026:
- Monday, Jan 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Closed)
- Monday, Feb 16: Presidents' Day (Closed)
- Friday, April 3: Good Friday (Closed)
- Monday, May 25: Memorial Day (Closed)
- Friday, June 19: Juneteenth (Closed)
Honestly, these random Friday or Monday closures are the ones that usually catch people off guard. You wake up, coffee in hand, ready to see your portfolio, and the numbers aren't moving. It’s a weirdly lonely feeling.
Why Does the Market Even Close?
You’d think in 2026, with AI and high-frequency trading, the market would just run forever. But there are actually a few "human" reasons it stays closed on weekends and holidays.
First, liquidity. If the market were open 24/7, the volume of trades would be spread too thin. Imagine a party that never ends; eventually, only two people are left in the kitchen and the vibe is terrible. By forcing everyone to trade during the same window, it ensures there are enough buyers and sellers to keep prices fair.
Second, it gives the world time to digest information. If a huge company announces a merger at 8:00 p.m. on a Friday, the weekend closure allows analysts to actually read the 200-page filing before they start screaming "buy" or "sell." It prevents knee-jerk reactions from burning down the house.
Actionable Next Steps for Tomorrow
Since you can't trade regular stocks tomorrow, Saturday, January 17, here is what you actually should do:
- Check your "GTC" (Good 'Til Canceled) orders. If you have a limit order sitting out there, remember it won't trigger until Tuesday morning. If the news changes over the weekend, you might want to cancel it before the Tuesday open.
- Use Limit Orders, not Market Orders. If you’re placing a trade over this long weekend, specify the price you’re willing to pay. Don’t just say "buy at any price," because the Tuesday morning open can be a wild ride.
- Watch the Sunday Night Futures. At 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, the futures market opens. It’s the first real "pulse" of how investors are reacting to weekend news.
- Take a break. Seriously. The market is closed for a reason. Go outside. Wall Street will still be there on Tuesday, and you’ll probably trade better if you aren't staring at a static screen all Saturday.
Basically, enjoy your Saturday. The ticker tape is paused, the brokers are at the beach, and your portfolio is safe (or at least frozen) until the next opening bell.