US Stock Markets Closed Jan 1, 2026 for New Year’s Day; Reopen Jan 2

According to official holiday calendars published by the NYSE and Nasdaq, January 1 is designated as a full-market closure for New Year’s Day in 2026. This aligns with the federal government’s observance of the holiday and the standard protocol followed by U.S. financial markets. There is no truncated or early session for equities, and bond marketplaces are also shut for the entirety of the day.

On the prior day, New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2025), the exchanges are open under regular hours, with no early close for equity markets. The first opportunity to trade after the holiday is Friday, January 2, under standard market hours.

The 2026 holiday schedule confirms ten full-day closures for NYSE and Nasdaq including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 19), Presidents’ Day (Feb 16), Good Friday (Apr 3), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day observed (July 3), Labor Day (Sept 7), Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26), and Christmas Day (Dec 25). Early-closes are scheduled for Black Friday (Nov 27) and Christmas Eve (Dec 24). This schedule aids investors and institutions in planning operations, settlement cycles, and strategic positioning around inactive market days.

Strategic implications: Investors should expect no trading activity on January 1, which means orders placed will queue until January 2—potentially exposing portfolios to overnight risk over the holiday. Operations tied to banks, settlement, and reporting should account for the holiday shutdown. Also, liquidity and market behavior late in December may shift as firms finalize positions ahead of the New Year closure.

Open questions: Whether any derivative or exotic product trading, which might follow different calendars or offshore venues, remains accessible during the closure. Also, how global markets react to overnight news on Jan 1 when U.S. markets are closed—how quickly adjustments occur once markets reopen.