When Does the Stock Market Close? Complete Trading Hours Guide

Knowing when the stock market closes is fundamental for anyone looking to execute trades strategically. The stock market follows a rigorous schedule with specific closing times, planned holidays, and rare unplanned interruptions that every trader should understand. This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about stock market closing times, from regular hours to emergency situations, helping you plan your trading activities and avoid costly mistakes.

Understanding Stock Market Close Times Across Trading Sessions

The primary U.S. stock exchanges—the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq—share a consistent operational framework that defines when the stock market closes and opens. During regular trading hours, the stock market closes at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday. This closing time remains consistent year-round, providing traders with a predictable endpoint for executing orders during standard business hours.

However, the stock market’s closure isn’t as simple as a single 4:00 PM ET timestamp. Trading actually extends beyond regular hours through multiple sessions:

• Regular trading hours: Open 9:30 AM ET, closes 4:00 PM ET
• After-hours trading session: Closes 8:00 PM ET (following the 4:00 PM ET market close)
• Pre-market trading session: Closes 9:30 AM ET (when regular hours begin)

Understanding these layered closing times helps traders leverage extended opportunities. After-hours trading, which extends until 8:00 PM ET, operates through electronic communication networks (ECNs) and features lower liquidity and higher spreads. Meanwhile, pre-market trading runs from 4:00 AM ET until the 9:30 AM ET official opening, offering another avenue for early movers.

Official Stock Market Closing Schedule by Time Zone

The stock market closes at different times depending on your location. When markets close at 4:00 PM ET, this translates to:

• 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 (noon)
• Hawaii-Aleutian Time (HT): 10:00 AM

For traders working across multiple time zones, tracking when the stock market closes in your specific zone prevents missed trading opportunities. The bond market operates on a slightly different schedule, closing at 5:00 PM ET on regular trading days, with early closures at 2:00 PM ET on days preceding major holidays.

Stock Market Close Times: Holidays and Early Closures

The stock market closes completely on nine major U.S. federal holidays each year:

Full Market Closures:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
• Presidents’ Day (third Monday in February)
• Good Friday (Friday before Easter)
• Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (first Monday in September)
• Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
• Christmas Day (December 25)

Beyond these complete closures, the stock market also closes early—typically at 1:00 PM ET—on several days preceding major holidays. These early close days include the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the day before Independence Day. When holidays fall on weekends, the market adjusts: if a holiday lands on Saturday, markets close on Friday instead; if on Sunday, markets close on Monday.

It’s important to note that Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) and Veterans Day do not trigger stock market closures, as these are not considered major market-moving events and financial institutions generally remain operational. Pre-market and after-hours trading is also unavailable on full holiday closure dates, compressing all trading into after-hours windows.

What Happens When Stock Market Closes Unexpectedly

Beyond scheduled closures and holidays, the stock market occasionally faces unplanned shutdowns due to extraordinary circumstances. These emergency closures protect market integrity and investor safety during crises.

Historical Unplanned Closures:

The most significant unplanned closure occurred following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when the NYSE and Nasdaq remained closed for four trading days (September 11-14, 2001). This marked the longest unplanned closure since 1914, when the NYSE shut down for nearly four months due to World War I.

Other notable instances include:

• The Panic of 1873: NYSE closed for 10 days starting September 20, 1873, responding to the collapse of Jay Cooke & Company
• The Panic of 1914: Market closed for approximately four months beginning July 31, 1914, the longest closure in U.S. history
• Great Depression (1933): NYSE closed for several days following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s bank holiday declaration
• Kennedy Assassination (1963): NYSE closed early on November 22, 1963, and remained closed the following day
• Hurricane Sandy (2012): NYSE and Nasdaq closed for two days in October 2012, the first weather-related shutdown since 1888

Technical failures have also forced temporary closures. In July 2015, a technical glitch halted NYSE trading for several hours before normal operations resumed later that day.

Circuit Breakers: How Markets Close During Extreme Volatility

Beyond planned holidays and emergency events, the stock market has built-in safeguards called circuit breakers that automatically halt trading during extreme volatility. These mechanisms activate based on sharp percentage declines in major indices like the S&P 500:

Circuit Breaker Levels:

• Level 1 (7% decline): Trading halts for 15 minutes unless the decline occurs after 3:25 PM ET
• Level 2 (13% decline): Trading halts for 15 minutes, also not triggered after 3:25 PM ET
• Level 3 (20% decline): Trading suspends for the remainder of the trading day, regardless of time

These automatic closing mechanisms provide a “cooling-off period” for markets to stabilize, preventing panic-driven selloffs from cascading into system-wide crises. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, circuit breakers activated multiple times as extreme volatility tested market resilience.

Key Takeaways for Traders

Understanding when the stock market closes—whether through regular 4:00 PM ET closing times, early holiday closures, or emergency halts—is essential for executing successful trading strategies. Traders who track closing schedules across time zones, anticipate holiday-driven trading patterns, and recognize circuit breaker thresholds position themselves to capitalize on opportunities while managing risks effectively.

Always verify your brokerage’s specific closing procedures and holiday schedule, as minor variations exist between brokers. Staying informed about upcoming market closures ensures you’re never caught off guard when you need to adjust positions or place critical orders.