You’re staring at your portfolio, maybe ready to jump on a dip or finally exit a position that’s been nagging at you. But then the doubt creeps in. Is the exchange actually running? Honestly, it’s one of those questions that feels simple until you realize how weirdly specific the NYSE and Nasdaq calendars can be.
If you are looking at Friday, January 16, 2026, the answer is a straightforward yes. The U.S. stock market is open tomorrow. You'll have your standard 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET window for regular trading.
But don't get too comfortable. This is a bit of a "calm before the storm" situation because there's a major holiday three-day weekend right around the corner.
Why the Schedule Matters Right Now
Tomorrow isn't a holiday. It's just a regular Friday. However, the reason people are likely searching for this is that we are on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Historically, the Friday before a long weekend sees some pretty specific behavior. You’ve got traders squaring off their positions because they don't want to hold risk over a three-day break. Basically, if some massive geopolitical news drops on Sunday, they can't sell their stocks until Tuesday morning. That leads to some "Friday afternoon jitters" that can occasionally spike volatility right before the closing bell.
The Upcoming Roadblock: Monday, January 19
While the U.S. stock market is open tomorrow, it will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This isn't just a "bank holiday" where the post office closes but the traders keep shouting. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will be fully dark. No pre-market. No after-hours. Just a total pause. If you miss your window tomorrow (Friday), you are essentially locked out of the equity markets for 72 hours.
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What stays open?
It’s sorta confusing, but the world of finance doesn’t stop entirely.
- Crypto: Bitcoin doesn't care about MLK Day. It trades 24/7/365.
- Forex: Global currency markets generally stay active, though liquidity might feel thin since the "Big Dollar" players in New York are off.
- Futures: CME Group usually has "halting" hours. They might trade until midday on Monday and then take a break.
Trading Hours Breakdown for Tomorrow
Since the market is open tomorrow, you should keep the standard "New York Time" (Eastern Time) schedule in mind. It's easy to forget if you're trading from the West Coast or abroad.
- Pre-Market: 4:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET (Very thin, very volatile).
- Core Session: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET (This is the meat of the day).
- After-Hours: 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET.
Wait, why does anyone care about the 4:00 a.m. pre-market? Honestly, most retail investors shouldn't. The spreads—the gap between the price to buy and the price to sell—are often huge. You can get "picked off" by institutional algos if you aren't using limit orders.
The 2026 "Surprise" Calendar
The 2026 calendar has a few quirks. Unlike some years where holidays fall on weekends and get "observed" on Fridays or Mondays, 2026 is relatively clean. But look out for the early closes later this year.
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Usually, people get caught off guard by the 1:00 p.m. ET closures. In 2026, those happen on Friday, November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving) and Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). If you show up at 2:00 p.m. on those days thinking you have two hours left to trade, you’re going to be looking at a frozen screen.
Strategy: What to do before the weekend?
Since tomorrow is the final trading session of the week, and Monday is a holiday, you've got to think about "theta" or time decay if you play with options. Three days of the market being closed means three days of your options losing value while you can't do anything about it.
I’ve seen a lot of people get burned by "weekend risk." If you’re a long-term investor, tomorrow is just another Friday. But if you’re day trading, tomorrow is your last chance to clean up your ledger before a long gap.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your open orders: If you have "Good 'Til Cancelled" (GTC) orders, remember they might trigger tomorrow in a way you didn't expect if there's a Friday sell-off.
- Verify your margin: If you’re holding positions over the long weekend, ensure you aren't hovering near a margin call. Brokers hate weekend risk as much as you do.
- Log in early: Since tomorrow is a standard session, aim to have your research done by 9:00 a.m. ET so you can see how the pre-market is reacting to the overnight news.
The U.S. stock market is open tomorrow, but the clock is ticking. Make your moves before the 4:00 p.m. bell, or you'll be waiting until Tuesday to fix them.