If you’re checking the clock because you have a trade to settle or you’re just tracking your portfolio, you probably want a quick answer. Here’s the short version: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq close their doors for regular trading at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) today, Thursday, January 15, 2026.
But honestly? If you think the "close" is just a bell ringing at 4:00 PM, you’re missing the most chaotic and interesting part of the day.
While the "core" session is 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, the market doesn't actually go to sleep. In fact, for a lot of institutional traders and high-frequency algorithms, 4:00 PM is just the beginning of a second act.
What Time Does New York Stock Exchange Close Today? (The Essentials)
For most of us—the folks using Robinhood, E-Trade, or Fidelity—the day ends when the closing bell sounds. Today is a standard trading day. No early closures. No holidays.
The schedule looks like this:
- Pre-Market Trading: 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET
- Regular Trading Hours: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET
- After-Hours Trading: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
It’s worth noting that while the NYSE "closes" at 4:00 PM, the Closing Auction is what actually determines the final price you see on the news. This is a complex process where the exchange matches buy and sell orders to find a single price that clears the most volume. If you’ve ever noticed a stock price "jump" or "teleport" right at 4:00 PM, that’s why.
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Is today a holiday?
Nope. Today, January 15, is a regular Thursday. Interestingly, if you were trading on the Indian exchanges like the BSE or NSE today, you’d find them closed due to the Maharashtra civic body elections. But back in New York, it’s business as usual.
We are, however, approaching a long weekend. The NYSE will be closed this coming Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If you have positions you don’t want to hold over a three-day weekend, keep that in mind.
Why the 4 PM Closing Bell Is Kinda a Lie
Most people assume that when the bell rings, trading stops. That hasn't been true for decades.
We live in a 24/7 world, and the stock market is slowly—painfully slowly—trying to catch up. Right now, in early 2026, we are in the middle of a massive shift toward extended-hours trading.
The After-Hours Chaos
Between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM, "after-hours" trading happens. This is where the real drama usually lives. Why? Because companies almost never release their earnings reports while the market is open. They wait until 4:01 PM or later.
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If a company like Nvidia or Apple drops a bombshell earnings report at 4:15 PM, the stock can move 10% in minutes. If you only trade during "regular" hours, you’re basically a spectator while the pros react in real-time.
The Rise of 23/5 Trading
The NYSE Arca has been pushing hard to expand its "Early Session" to start at 9:00 PM the previous day. Essentially, they want the market to stay open nearly 23 hours a day, five days a week. We aren't fully there yet for all stocks, but the infrastructure is being laid down as we speak.
For you, this means "closing time" is becoming a suggestion rather than a rule. Some platforms, like Robinhood, already allow 24-hour trading on select ETFs and big-name stocks.
2026 NYSE Holiday Schedule: When You Can't Trade
If you're planning your January and February, you need to know when the lights are out. The NYSE is pretty strict about its calendar.
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, Jan 1 (Closed)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, Jan 19 (Closed)
- Presidents' Day: Monday, Feb 16 (Closed)
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3 (Closed)
There are also Early Close days where the market shuts down at 1:00 PM ET. This usually happens the day after Thanksgiving and sometimes on Christmas Eve. But for today, January 15, you have the full clock to work with.
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How to Handle the "Closing Cross"
If you're a retail trader, the last ten minutes of the day (3:50 PM to 4:00 PM) are the most dangerous and the most lucrative. This is known as the Closing Imbalance period.
The exchange starts publishing "imbalance" data, telling the world if there are more buyers than sellers for the final auction. Big funds use this to dump or buy massive blocks of shares. If you’re trying to buy a stock right at 3:59 PM, be careful. The price you see might not be the price you get because the "market on close" (MOC) orders are flooding in.
Pro tip: If you aren't a professional day trader, avoid the "power hour" (3 PM - 4 PM) for major moves. The volatility can wipe out a small account in seconds if a major fund decides to rebalance.
Actionable Steps for Today's Close
Since you now know what time does New York stock exchange close today, here is how to actually use that information:
- Check your limit orders: If you have "Day Only" orders, they will expire at 4:00 PM ET today. If you want them to last into the evening, you need to change them to "GTC" (Good 'Til Canceled) or "Ext" (Extended Hours).
- Watch the 4:05 PM prints: If any major companies are reporting earnings today, the price action immediately after the 4:00 PM bell will tell you more than any news headline.
- Plan for Monday: Remember that the market is closed this coming Monday, January 19. If you are trading on margin, you'll be paying interest over that three-day weekend. It might be worth trimming positions today or tomorrow to avoid those costs.
- Audit your "After-Hours" access: Not all brokers allow you to trade until 8:00 PM. Check your settings now. Some require you to sign a specific waiver to trade after the 4:00 PM close because the "bid-ask spreads" are much wider (meaning it's more expensive to buy and sell).
The market is shifting. 4:00 PM is still the "official" end, but in the digital age, the New York Stock Exchange is becoming a place that never truly sleeps.