The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be closed on Memorial Day 2026, which falls on Monday, May 25. This federal holiday observance means no equity trading will occur on major U.S. stock exchanges, following the longstanding tradition of market closures on national holidays that honor American service members who died while serving in the military.
Memorial Day represents one of nine full-day closures observed annually by U.S. stock markets, according to exchange calendars published by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The holiday consistently occurs on the last Monday of May each year, a schedule established by federal law in 1971 under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This creates a three-day weekend for most market participants and provides a break in what is typically an active trading period leading into summer months.
Trading will resume at regular hours on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, with the NYSE and Nasdaq opening at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and closing at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Pre-market trading sessions typically begin at 4:00 a.m. ET, while after-hours trading extends until 8:00 p.m. ET on normal trading days. The bond market, overseen by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, also observes Memorial Day as a full closure day, meaning Treasury securities and other fixed-income instruments will not trade.
Market participants should note that international exchanges maintain independent holiday schedules, so global trading will continue on May 25 in markets across Europe, Asia, and other regions. This can create gaps in overnight futures trading and may result in price adjustments when U.S. markets reopen Tuesday morning, particularly if significant international news developments occur during the American holiday.
The Memorial Day closure comes during a historically significant period for equity markets. Statistical analysis of market patterns shows that the period from November through April typically generates stronger returns than the May through October period, giving rise to the Wall Street adage “sell in May and go away.” Data compiled over multiple decades indicates the S&P 500 has averaged approximately 2% gains during May through October periods compared to roughly 7% during November through April stretches, though these patterns vary considerably by year.
Investors planning trades around the holiday weekend should execute orders by Friday, May 22, at 4:00 p.m. ET to ensure settlement before the long weekend. Standard stock trades settle on a T+2 basis, meaning transactions complete two business days after the trade date. Orders placed Friday will settle on Thursday, May 28, accounting for the Monday holiday. Options contracts expiring on Friday, May 22, will follow normal expiration procedures with no holiday-related modifications.
The market closure affects approximately $50 trillion in total U.S. equity market capitalization, based on current valuations of stocks listed on American exchanges. Daily trading volume on the NYSE and Nasdaq combined typically exceeds 10 billion shares, representing hundreds of billions of dollars in transaction value that will be deferred to Tuesday’s session. Volatility often increases slightly on the first trading day following extended market closures as participants react to accumulated news and adjust positions.
Retail investors using mobile trading platforms should verify whether their brokerage firms observe different hours for cryptocurrency trading, as digital asset markets operate 24 hours daily without holiday closures. Many platforms now offer crypto trading alongside traditional securities, but these products trade continuously regardless of stock market schedules. Foreign exchange markets similarly maintain near-continuous operation, though liquidity typically decreases substantially during U.S. holidays.
The Memorial Day 2026 closure marks the third full-day market shutdown of the calendar year, following New Year’s Day on January 1 and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19. Remaining 2026 closures include Independence Day (July 3, observed), Labor Day (September 7), Thanksgiving Day (November 26), and Christmas Day (December 25). Markets close early at 1:00 p.m. ET on July 2 and November 27, the days before Independence Day and Thanksgiving respectively.