You’re staring at a frozen ticker. It’s 10:30 AM on a Monday, and the S&P 500 isn't moving. Your first instinct is that your internet died or your brokerage app crashed. Then it hits you. It’s a bank holiday. Honestly, there is nothing more frustrating than waking up with a hot trading strategy only to realize the stock market closed 2025 schedule is standing in your way.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq don't just shut down because they feel like it. They follow a very specific, federally influenced rhythm. If you aren't tracking these dates, you're going to miss liquidity windows or, worse, get caught in a "flash" move right before a long weekend when volume thins out.
The 2025 Market Holiday Breakdown
Most people assume the market is open unless it's Christmas or New Year's. That's a mistake. In 2025, we have a few specific quirks because of how the calendar falls.
New Year’s Day 2025 falls on a Wednesday. That’s a clean break right in the middle of the week. Unlike years where it falls on a weekend and we get an "observed" holiday on Monday, 2025 keeps it straightforward. But things get more interesting as we move into the spring.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, January 20. Washington’s Birthday (often just called Presidents' Day) hits on Monday, February 17. These are the "winter gaps." If you’re trading options, these three-day weekends are "theta decay" traps. Time keeps ticking, but your ability to exit a position is locked behind a closed exchange.
Why the 2025 Calendar Looks Different
We have to talk about Juneteenth. It's the "new" kid on the block for the NYSE. On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the stock market closed sign goes up again. Because it falls on a Thursday, many traders will likely treat Friday the 20th as a "bridge" day, meaning liquidity might be incredibly low. If you're a day trader, that's a dangerous environment. Low volume equals high volatility. One large sell order can swing the price of an ETF significantly when the "big money" is already at the beach.
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Good Friday is another one that trips people up. In 2025, it’s April 18. The weird thing about Good Friday? It isn't a federal holiday in the U.S., but the NYSE and Nasdaq close anyway. It’s a legacy tradition. The bond market usually has an early close at 2:00 PM ET on the Thursday before, so if you trade fixed income, you're looking at a very short week.
The Full List of 2025 Market Holidays
Don't guess. Here is the actual list of days the US stock market closed 2025 operations:
- New Year’s Day: Wednesday, January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 20
- Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 17
- Good Friday: Friday, April 18
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 26
- Juneteenth National Independence Day: Thursday, June 19
- Independence Day: Friday, July 4
- Labor Day: Monday, September 1
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 27 (Early close at 1:00 PM on Friday, Nov 28)
- Christmas Day: Thursday, December 25 (Early close at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, Dec 24)
Notice the early closes. On the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) and Christmas Eve, the markets shut down at 1:00 PM ET. Most traders are basically gone by noon. If you try to execute a complex multi-leg option trade at 12:45 PM on Black Friday, you might get a terrible fill price. It's just the reality of a thin order book.
What Actually Happens When the Market is Closed?
The lights don't just go out. While the "lit" exchanges like the NYSE are dark, the world keeps spinning.
Globex and other futures markets often stay open longer or have different holiday hours. For instance, S&P 500 futures (ES) and Nasdaq futures (NQ) might trade on a truncated schedule during federal holidays. This creates a "gap."
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Imagine some major geopolitical event happens on a Monday when the stock market closed 2025 for Presidents' Day. You see the futures market reacting in real-time. But you can't touch your Nvidia or Apple stock. By the time the opening bell rings on Tuesday morning, the stock might "gap down" 5%. You're stuck watching the ship sink without being able to grab a life vest. This is why many professional hedge fund managers reduce their "net exposure" before a long three-day holiday weekend.
The Mystery of After-Hours Trading
You’ve probably seen prices moving at 6:00 PM on a Tuesday. That's the Extended-Hours session. But on a full market holiday, even the Electronic Communication Networks (ECNs) are generally quiet for equities.
However, international markets stay open. On May 26, 2025 (Memorial Day), the London Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange will be trading as usual. If you hold global ADRs (American Depositary Receipts), their "home" market price will dictate where they open in New York the next day. It’s a global game, and the U.S. closing is just a local pause.
Misconceptions About Market Closures
One big myth is that "the market" is one single building. It's not. It's a massive, interconnected web of servers in New Jersey. When we say the stock market closed, we really mean the regulatory bodies have declared a halt in official matching.
Another misconception? That you can't place orders. You can place a limit order on a Sunday night. It just sits in your broker's server until the "Pre-Market" session begins at 4:00 AM ET on the next business day. Just be careful—if you place a "Market Order" while the exchange is closed, you are asking for trouble. You have no idea where that price will be when the gates open. Always use Limit Orders during off-hours. Always.
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The Role of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA)
While the NYSE makes its own rules, SIFMA is the group that usually recommends the holiday schedule for fixed-income markets (bonds). Usually, they align. But sometimes the bond market closes while the stock market stays open, or vice versa. In 2025, the overlap is pretty consistent, but if you're into Treasury notes, you should check the SIFMA specific recommendations separately.
Strategies for a Closed Market
What should you actually do when the market is shut?
Stop checking your P&L. Honestly, the best traders use this time for "post-game analysis." Review your trades from the previous week. Did you follow your rules? Did you revenge trade?
- Audit your Portfolio: Look at your "beta" exposure. If the market is closed for three days, are you too heavy in one sector?
- Scan for Earnings: The week after a holiday often has a compressed earnings schedule. Companies cram their reports into the remaining four days.
- Backtest: Use the downtime to run simulations on new strategies.
- Relax: Burnout is the number one killer of retail accounts. If the exchange says "closed," take the hint.
Actionable Next Steps
To make sure you aren't caught off guard by the stock market closed 2025 schedule, you need to bake these dates into your workflow right now.
- Sync your Digital Calendar: Manually add the 10 major holidays listed above to your Google or Outlook calendar with "All Day" alerts.
- Check your Broker's Specific Rules: Some platforms like Robinhood or Interactive Brokers have different rules for "Extended Hours" surrounding holidays. Read their fine print on holiday liquidity.
- Set "GTC" (Good 'Til Canceled) Orders: If you have a specific price you want to sell at, set a GTC limit order. This stays active even through the holidays, so it's ready the millisecond the market reopens.
- Watch the Futures: On the evening of a holiday (like Sunday night or the Monday night of a long weekend), check the /ES and /NQ futures. They open at 6:00 PM ET and will give you a "preview" of the Tuesday morning sentiment.
The market is a machine. It needs its downtime, and so do you. Plan for the gaps, and you'll never be the person frantically googling "why is the stock market not moving" at 9:35 AM.