If you’ve been refreshing your portfolio and seeing the same stale numbers, you aren't alone. It’s a bit of a letdown when you’re ready to trade and the charts look like a flatline. Honestly, it happens to the best of us—you wake up, check the futures, and realize nothing is moving.
So, was stock market open today? Since today is Sunday, January 18, 2026, the short answer is no. The big U.S. exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq are strictly Monday-through-Friday operations. But there’s a little more to the story than just "it's the weekend," especially with a major federal holiday sitting right on the horizon tomorrow.
The Weekend Reality Check
Sundays are basically a dead zone for traditional equity trading. While you might be used to crypto moving 24/7, the stock market likes its sleep. The regular trading session—the one everyone talks about—runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Outside of that, things mostly go dark.
Now, some people get confused because they see "Sunday Night Futures" mentioned on the news. Around 6:00 p.m. ET on Sundays, the futures market actually kicks into gear. This is where big institutional players start betting on where the market will open on Monday. But for the average person looking to buy a few shares of Apple or Nvidia, those orders just sit in a queue until the opening bell rings.
The MLK Day Factor for 2026
Here is where it gets slightly more annoying for traders this week. Tomorrow is Monday, January 19, 2026. It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Because it’s a federal holiday, the stock market isn't just closed today for the weekend—it’s staying closed through tomorrow too.
The NYSE and Nasdaq follow a very specific holiday schedule. When a holiday falls on a Monday, you’re looking at a long three-day weekend where your capital is essentially locked in place. If you placed a "Market" order today, it wouldn’t actually fill until Tuesday morning, January 20, at 9:30 a.m. ET.
2026 Stock Market Holidays at a Glance
To save you a Google search later this year, here are the days when the floor goes quiet:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
- Presidents' Day: Monday, February 16
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (Observed): Friday, July 3
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 26 (plus an early 1 p.m. close on Friday)
- Christmas: Friday, December 25
Why Can’t We Trade 24/7?
It feels kinda dated, right? We can order a pizza at 3 a.m. and trade Bitcoin on a holiday, but we can't buy a stock on a Sunday. There’s a reason for it, though. Liquidity is the biggest factor. If the markets were open all the time, the "volume" (the number of people buying and selling) would be spread too thin. This would lead to massive, erratic price swings that could ruin your account in minutes while you're asleep.
By forcing everyone into the same 6.5-hour window, the market ensures there are enough buyers and sellers to keep prices stable. It’s about protection, even if it feels like an inconvenience when you have a "sure thing" tip on a Sunday afternoon.
What You Can Actually Do Right Now
Just because the "Buy" button isn't working doesn't mean you have to sit on your hands. Weekends are actually the best time to do the "boring" stuff that makes you a better investor.
- Review Your Stop-Losses: Volatility often spikes on Tuesday mornings after a long holiday weekend. Check if your exit points are still where you want them.
- Read the 10-K Filings: Most people just read headlines. Spend twenty minutes looking at the actual annual reports of the companies you own. You'll find things the "gurus" missed.
- Watch the Futures: As mentioned, at 6:00 p.m. ET tonight, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures will start trading. If they are deep in the red or bright green, it gives you a heads-up for the Tuesday open.
- Crypto and Forex: If you really have the itch to trade, these markets are active. Just remember they don't follow the same rules as stocks.
The Monday Morning (or Tuesday) Trap
A lot of people think that if the market was closed today, they should rush in the second it opens. That’s usually a mistake. The first 30 minutes of a trading session after a long weekend are often called "amateur hour." This is when all the pent-up orders from the weekend hit the tape at once, creating "gaps" in price.
Often, the price will jump up at 9:30 a.m. only to crash back down by 10:15 a.m. once the professional traders step in. If you’re looking to enter a position, waiting for the "initial balance"—basically the price range set in the first hour—is usually a smarter move.
Looking Ahead
Since the answer to was stock market open today is a firm no, use this time to clear your head. The 2026 market has already shown plenty of weirdness, and having an extra day of rest because of the MLK holiday tomorrow isn't the worst thing for your mental health or your bank account.
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Next Steps for You:
Check your brokerage app tonight after 6:00 p.m. ET to see how the futures are reacting to any news that broke over the weekend. Then, set an alarm for Tuesday morning. Since Monday is a holiday, you have an extra 24 hours to refine your watchlist and make sure you aren't FOMO-ing into a trade the moment the Tuesday bell rings.