The opening of the stock market on a particular day is determined by three major factors:
Day of the week U.S. stock markets are open on Monday- Friday.
Market holidays or early-close days – during some of the public holidays or the following day, markets can shut or close early.
Schedule exchange specific or unusual closures – in some cases markets may close early or reduce hours because of some unusual event, maintenance or special observance.
To find out whether the market is open today, refer to the official timetable of the exchange (or country) that you are following.
The working of U.S. Markets: Openings and Holidays.
This is what happens in the case of the large American exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq.
Normal trading hours: 9: 30 a.m. to 4:00 p m. Eastern time (ET), Monday to Friday.
Weekends: Closed (Saturday and Sunday).
Public holidays: The markets are closed on the major federal holidays in the U.S. including New Year Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Early-close days: There are days, such as Black Friday (the following day after the Thanksgiving), the day before the Independence Day, on Christmas Eve, etc., when markets are likely to close, around 1:00 p.m. ET.
So, on a weekday and non-holiday or non-early-close day, an American stock market ought to be open.
How to Use the Test on whether the market is open (Any Day, Any Market)
To check whether a certain stock market is open today:
Verify the formal timetable of the exchange (e.g. NYSE or Nasdaq holidays).
Keep an eye out on national holidays – during national holidays markets can be closed.
Consider weekends – most markets around the globe do not operate on Saturdays and Sundays.
Close alert during early trading hours in case of shortened trading hours.
Use notices on brokers or other trading-platforms – most brokers warn their visitors about market closures or time adjustments.
In Non-U.S. Markets (i.e., Europe, Asia, Local Markets)
This is also true but with local holidays and definitions of weekends. For example:
In other markets, weekend will be on Friday-Saturday, rather than on Saturday-Sunday.
Trading days are influenced by local public holidays.
Check the local exchange calendar of holidays.
The relevance of this to Investors and Traders.
Time of entry/exit: This is when a market is closed or not, making sure that an order is not wasted or that something will take a long time to be executed.
Consideration of global trade: In case one major market is closed, other markets might be open, and world markets can be impacted by spill-over effects.
Volatility planning: On early-close days, the liquidity could be less resulting in the movement of prices and slippage.
Surprise avoidance: When we are on holidays, the movement of prices can be kept frozen. The knowledge of this assists you to make trades or to follow market responses.
Conclusion – What You need to do today.
Is stock market open today? If you ask yourself this question. — here’s a quick checklist:
Confirm the day of the week.
Confirm whether or not it is a holiday or an early-close day on your exchange of interest.
Check the official exchange calendar or speak to your broker. To learn more and seek the services of a law and right tax advisor regarding other US Tax Laws, pay us a visit: Apnaqanoon
