When Does the Stock Market Close? A Complete Trading Calendar Guide

Knowing exactly when the stock market close occurs is fundamental for any active trader or investor. The timing of market closures directly impacts your ability to execute trades, and understanding both regular schedules and exceptional circumstances can mean the difference between successful and missed opportunities.

Understanding Regular Market Closing Times

The question of when does the stock market close has a straightforward answer for regular trading days. The U.S. stock exchanges—the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq—shut down at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) on weekdays. However, this closing time translates differently across the country:

• Eastern Time (ET): 4:00 PM
• Central Time (CT): 3:00 PM
• Mountain Time (MT): 2:00 PM
• Pacific Time (PT): 1:00 PM
• Alaska Time (AKT): 12:00 PM
• Hawaii-Aleutian Time (HT): 10:00 AM

The standard operating window runs from 9:30 AM ET to 4:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday. Outside these hours, the stock market is completely closed on weekends, preventing any regular market trading.

Extended Trading Sessions: Before and After Regular Hours

While the stock market close occurs at 4:00 PM ET during standard hours, traders don’t necessarily have to stop at this point. Two extended trading windows exist:

Pre-market trading begins at 4:00 AM ET and runs until the official 9:30 AM ET market open. This early session allows proactive traders to position themselves before mainstream market activity begins.

After-hours trading starts immediately after the 4:00 PM ET close and continues until 8:00 PM ET. These extended sessions operate through electronic communication networks (ECNs), offering additional flexibility for traders who cannot participate during standard hours.

However, trading outside regular hours comes with trade-offs. Liquidity is significantly lower, bid-ask spreads are wider, and price volatility is higher. Not all securities are available for trading in these windows, and order execution may be delayed or occur at unfavorable prices. Your broker’s specific policies determine whether you have access to these sessions.

What Happens When You Try to Trade After Market Close

Attempting to place trades when the stock market close has already occurred creates operational challenges. If you submit an order during non-trading hours without accessing premarket or after-hours sessions, your order sits in a queue until the next regular trading session opens.

For example, placing a trade at 5:00 PM ET (after the 4:00 PM close) normally results in your order waiting until 9:30 AM the following morning. This delay can be problematic if prices move significantly overnight, potentially causing your intended entry or exit price to become unavailable.

If your broker does offer after-hours access, your order may execute during that window, but you face the previously mentioned risks of lower liquidity and higher volatility.

The Bond Market Schedule: A Different Close Time

Interestingly, the bond market operates under different hours than equities. While the stock market close happens at 4:00 PM ET, the bond market typically remains active until 5:00 PM ET. The bond market opens at 8:00 AM ET Monday through Friday.

On days before major holidays, the bond market closes early at 2:00 PM ET, similar to equity market adjustments. This one-hour difference between when the stock market close occurs and when the bond market close occurs is an important detail for traders dealing with both asset classes.

Scheduled Market Closures: Federal Holidays

Beyond the daily 4:00 PM ET close, the stock market is completely closed on specific federal holidays. In 2025, these full closure dates include:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• MLK Jr. Day (January 20)
• Presidents’ Day (February 17)
• Good Friday (April 18)
• Memorial Day (May 26)
• Juneteenth (June 19)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (September 1)
• Thanksgiving (November 27)
• Christmas (December 25)

When holidays fall on weekends, the closure shifts to the nearest weekday. For instance, a holiday on Saturday typically results in an early close on Friday.

Early Closures: Half-Days Explained

On specific dates, the stock market close occurs at 1:00 PM ET instead of the standard 4:00 PM ET. These half-day trading sessions happen on:

• The day before Independence Day (July 3)
• The day after Thanksgiving (November 28)
• Christmas Eve (December 24)

Early closures significantly reduce trading volume and can amplify price movements due to thinner liquidity. Traders should adjust position sizing and verify execution carefully on these abbreviated trading days.

Unplanned Closures: When the Unexpected Happens

While scheduled closures are predictable, unplanned market closures can occur due to extraordinary circumstances. Historical examples demonstrate the potential for emergency shutdowns:

The longest unplanned closure occurred in 1914 when the NYSE closed for nearly four months due to World War I, reopening in December 1914. More recently, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, exchanges closed for four trading days (September 11-14). Hurricane Sandy forced a two-day shutdown in October 2012, the first weather-related closure since 1888.

Technical failures can also trigger temporary halts. In 2015, a software glitch forced the NYSE to suspend trading for several hours before resuming operations.

Circuit Breakers: Temporary Halts During Extreme Volatility

Rather than complete closures, circuit breakers provide temporary trading halts during severe market stress. These automated safeguards trigger at specific index decline levels:

• Level 1 (7% decline): 15-minute halt (unless after 3:25 PM ET, then trading continues)
• Level 2 (13% decline): 15-minute halt (not triggered after 3:25 PM ET)
• Level 3 (20% decline): Trading suspended for the remainder of the day

Circuit breakers prevent panic-selling cascades and give traders time to reassess positions during volatile conditions.

Planning Your Trading Around Market Closures

Effective traders incorporate market schedule knowledge into their strategy framework. Understanding precisely when does the stock market close—both under normal circumstances and during holidays—enables better trade planning, risk management, and opportunity capture.

Key takeaways: Regular trading closes at 4:00 PM ET weekdays, extended sessions offer additional windows with higher risk, holidays result in full closures, half-days close at 1:00 PM ET, and emergency situations can trigger unplanned shutdowns. By staying informed about these timing details, you position yourself to trade strategically rather than reactively.