If you just woke up and tried to refresh your Robinhood or Fidelity app only to see static numbers, don't panic. You haven't lost your internet connection and the global economy hasn't imploded. The answer is simple.
No.
Are us stock markets open today? No, because today is Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Wall Street basically runs on a very traditional Monday-through-Friday clock. Unless you're messing with crypto or some very specific overseas derivatives, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq are tightly locked up on the weekends. But there is a bit more to it than just "it's Saturday," especially with a major federal holiday looming on the horizon this Monday.
Why the NYSE and Nasdaq Stay Dark on Weekends
It’s kinda funny how we live in a 24/7 digital world where you can buy a lawnmower at 3 a.m. but you can't buy 10 shares of Apple on a Saturday morning. This is mostly a relic of history. Back in the day, traders needed time to actually process paperwork. They needed to breathe. While the technology now exists to trade every second of every day, the big institutions still value that weekend break for maintenance and, honestly, to prevent the kind of volatility that would happen if everyone was trading while sleep-deprived on a Sunday.
Regular trading hours for the big US exchanges are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Outside of that, you’ve got pre-market and after-hours sessions, but even those usually vanish once Friday evening hits.
The MLK Day Factor: Looking at Monday, January 19
Here is the part where people usually get tripped up. Since today is Saturday, January 17, you might be planning to get back into the game on Monday morning.
Not so fast.
Monday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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The stock market is a bit pickier than your local grocery store when it comes to holidays. While some businesses stay open, the US stock markets are 100% closed for MLK Day. If you’re looking for a "three-day weekend" for your portfolio, this is it. You won't see a single tick on the tape until Tuesday, January 20, at 9:30 a.m. sharp.
What Actually Moves When the Market is Closed?
Just because the NYSE is closed doesn't mean the world stops spinning. You've probably noticed that Bitcoin and Ethereum don't care about the calendar. They trade 24/7/365.
Then you have Stock Futures.
Futures are the "tell" for what might happen when the opening bell finally rings. Usually, US stock futures (like the E-mini S&P 500) start trading on Sunday night around 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Traders watch these like hawks to see how international news—maybe something out of Tokyo or London—is going to impact the US open.
If you see people talking about "the market being up" on a Sunday, they're talking about the futures market, not the actual stock market.
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Bond Markets vs. Stock Markets
Interestingly, the bond market and the stock market are like siblings who don't always agree on their schedules. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) sets the bond schedule. For this specific weekend, both are in sync: the bond market is closed today (Saturday) and will stay closed on Monday for MLK Day.
However, on certain days like Columbus Day or Veterans Day, you’ll find the stock market is open while the bond market is closed. It’s confusing, but that's just Wall Street for you.
2026 Trading Holiday Cheat Sheet
Since you're clearly trying to plan your trades, it helps to know which days you can actually stay in bed. In 2026, the markets have 10 official holidays.
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, Jan 1 (Closed)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, Jan 19 (Closed)
- Presidents' Day: Monday, Feb 16 (Closed)
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3 (Closed)
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25 (Closed)
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19 (Closed)
- Independence Day: Friday, July 3 (Observed)
- Labor Day: Monday, Sept 7 (Closed)
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, Nov 26 (Closed)
- Christmas Day: Friday, Dec 25 (Closed)
There are also those weird "early close" days. For instance, the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) and Christmas Eve usually see the markets shut down at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. It’s basically the market's way of saying, "Go home and eat leftovers."
How to Handle the "No Trading" Boredom
Honestly, most professional traders love these breaks. It’s a chance to step back from the 1-minute charts and look at the "macro" picture. When you’re staring at the screen all day, you lose the forest for the trees.
Use this Saturday to look at your long-term goals. Check your diversification. Read a 10-K filing for a company you've been eyeing.
Success in the market isn't about how many hours you spend clicking "buy" or "sell." It's about the quality of the decisions you make when the window is actually open.
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Actionable Next Steps
- Check your orders: If you placed a "Day" order on Friday that didn't fill, it’s probably cancelled now. If you want it to trigger on Tuesday, you'll need to re-enter it or use a "Good 'Til Cancelled" (GTC) order.
- Review the week: Look at the closing prices from Friday, January 16. Was there a sell-off at the end of the day? Often, traders sell before a long holiday weekend to avoid "gap down" risk on Tuesday morning.
- Set your alerts: Since the market is closed until Tuesday, set price alerts now so you don't have to glue yourself to the screen the second the market reopens.
- Watch the Futures: Sunday at 6 p.m. ET is your first real look at the market sentiment for the coming week.
Wait for the Tuesday morning bell. Until then, enjoy the silence.