If you woke up this morning, coffee in hand, ready to watch the tickers crawl across your screen, you might want to slow down. Today is Sunday, January 18, 2026. If you're asking is the stock exchange closed today, the short answer is yes. It's the weekend.
But there’s a bit more to the story than just "it's Sunday."
We are currently sitting in the middle of a three-day holiday weekend in the United States. Tomorrow, Monday, January 19, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is one of the major federal holidays where the heavy hitters of Wall Street—the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq—take a total breather.
Why the Stock Exchange is Closed Today and Tomorrow
The rhythm of the market is usually pretty predictable. Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. That's the heartbeat. But weekends are a hard stop for the major exchanges.
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What's actually happening right now is a transition into a holiday closure. Because MLK Day is a federal holiday, the stock market follows the lead of the federal government and the banking system. Honestly, if you try to place a trade right now through a standard brokerage like Fidelity or Charles Schwab, it’s just going to sit there in a queue until Tuesday morning.
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) also recommends a full closure for bond markets on the holiday. So, if you were looking to play around with Treasuries or corporate bonds, those are locked up tight too.
The Specifics of the January 2026 Break
Since it’s January 18, 2026, here is the breakdown of the current downtime:
- Sunday, Jan 18: Closed (Standard weekend)
- Monday, Jan 19: Closed (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- Tuesday, Jan 20: Open (Regular hours resume at 9:30 a.m. ET)
It’s kinda weird for new traders to realize that while the world is digital and crypto trades 24/7, the "traditional" stock market still very much likes its sleep.
What About After-Hours and Futures?
You’ve probably heard people talking about "futures being up" or "the overnight market." While the NYSE floor and the main Nasdaq electronic exchange are closed, some corners of the financial world never really stop.
Futures markets, like those on the CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), often have modified hours during holidays. For instance, on a holiday Monday, equity futures might trade until a certain time—often 1:00 p.m. ET—and then pause until the evening.
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But for the average person checking their E*TRADE or Robinhood app, is the stock exchange closed today remains a definitive "yes." Even the pre-market sessions that usually start as early as 4:00 a.m. ET on weekdays won't be active tomorrow morning.
The Rest of the 2026 Trading Calendar
If you're trying to plan your vacation or just your trading strategy for the rest of the year, MLK Day is just the first major hurdle after New Year's. Wall Street is pretty consistent about which days it takes off.
Later this year, we’ll see closures for Presidents' Day on Monday, February 16. After that, the market observes Good Friday on April 3. It’s one of those quirks—Good Friday isn't a federal holiday, but the NYSE has closed for it for over a century, with only a few exceptions.
We also have the "new" holiday, Juneteenth, which falls on Friday, June 19, 2026. Ever since it became a federal holiday, the exchanges have synced up their calendars to honor it.
Unusual Closing Times to Watch
Sometimes the market doesn't close entirely but just ducks out early. These are the "early close" days, usually ending at 1:00 p.m. ET. In 2026, keep an eye on:
- Friday, November 27: The day after Thanksgiving.
- Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve.
Basically, if it’s a day where people are more interested in turkey or presents than price-to-earnings ratios, the market usually lets its employees go home early.
Does a Closed Market Mean No News?
Actually, holiday weekends can be some of the most stressful times for investors. Just because the NYSE is dark doesn't mean the world stops spinning.
In fact, the World Economic Forum in Davos is kicking off right now. Big political moves or international economic shifts often happen when the US markets are closed, leading to what traders call a "gap."
A gap is when the price of a stock opens significantly higher or lower on Tuesday morning than it closed on Friday afternoon because it’s "catching up" to all the news that happened over the long weekend. If you have open positions, those three days of silence can feel like an eternity.
Actionable Steps for Today
Since you can't trade today, use this time to get your ducks in a row for Tuesday’s open.
Review your watchlists. Since the market has been closed since Friday afternoon, look at how international markets (like the Nikkei in Japan or the FTSE in London) are performing on their Monday morning—which happens while we are still in Sunday night. This can give you a "tell" for how US markets might react when they finally wake up.
Set your limit orders. If you know you want to buy or sell at a specific price, you can enter those orders now. They won't execute today or tomorrow, but they’ll be first in line when the bells ring on Tuesday.
Check the earnings calendar. Late January is usually the heart of earnings season. Companies like Netflix or Intel often report around this time of year. Use this quiet Sunday to see which of your holdings are reporting this week so you aren't caught off guard by a massive volatility spike.
Confirm your banking transfers. If you need to move money from your savings account to your brokerage to fund a Tuesday trade, do it now. Since tomorrow is a bank holiday, electronic transfers (ACH) might take an extra day to clear.