If you’re staring at your portfolio on this Sunday, January 18, 2026, wondering when the bells will start ringing, here is the quick, no-nonsense answer: The U.S. stock market is closed today. Sundays are a universal "pencils down" moment for the major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq. But honestly, if you're a seasoned trader or just someone who gets antsy when the charts aren't moving, you know that "closed" is a relative term in 2026. While the big marble buildings in Manhattan are dark, the global financial machine is actually starting to hum to life in the background.
When Do Stock Markets Open Today for Global Markets?
Even though it’s Sunday in the States, the international date line is your best friend—or your worst enemy, depending on how much sleep you need. Because of time zone differences, "today" actually marks the start of the trading week for several major Asian hubs.
By the time you’re finishing dinner on the East Coast, markets on the other side of the world are grabbing their morning coffee. Japan’s Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) officially opens its doors at 8:00 p.m. ET. Shortly after, you’ll see the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange follow suit at 9:30 p.m. ET.
It’s a weird mental shift. You're winding down your weekend, but the Monday morning rush is already happening in Osaka and Sydney. If there was big news over the weekend—geopolitical shifts, a surprise tech breakthrough, or a crypto collapse—these are the markets that catch the first wave of volatility.
The 2026 Holiday Twist: Is the Market Open Tomorrow?
Here is where it gets kinda tricky. Usually, you’d be gear-prepping for the Monday morning open at 9:30 a.m. ET. However, tomorrow is Monday, January 19, 2026, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In the United States, this is a federal holiday. That means the NYSE and Nasdaq won't just be closed today; they’re staying closed tomorrow too. You’re looking at a long weekend. For most retail investors, the next time you can execute a standard trade on a U.S. exchange will be Tuesday, January 20, at 9:30 a.m. ET.
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Breaking Down the Weekend Schedule
To make it easy to scan, here is how the timeline looks for the next 48 hours:
- Sunday, Jan 18: All U.S. Markets closed. No regular trading.
- Sunday Night (8:00 p.m. ET): Asian markets (Tokyo) open for their Monday session.
- Monday, Jan 19: U.S. Markets closed (MLK Day).
- Monday Night (8:00 p.m. ET): U.S. Futures and some extended-hours platforms begin "pre-pre-market" prep for Tuesday.
- Tuesday, Jan 20 (9:30 a.m. ET): Regular U.S. trading resumes.
The Rise of 24/5 Trading: The Rules Have Changed
I should mention that "opening hours" aren't as rigid as they used to be back in the day. We’re in 2026, and the push for 24-hour trading has basically dismantled the old 9-to-4 wall.
Platforms like Charles Schwab and Robinhood now offer extended sessions that let people trade a massive list of ETFs and blue-chip stocks almost around the clock during the workweek. While these usually pause on the weekends, the CME Group—the folks who handle futures—often opens up on Sunday evenings.
Typically, U.S. Equity Futures (like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100 futures) start trading at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. This is often called "the Sunday night gap." If you want to see how the market is "feeling" about the upcoming week before the Monday holiday, watching the futures on Sunday night is the pro move.
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Why Do Markets Even Close Anyway?
It seems sort of archaic, right? We can buy a digital cat at 3:00 a.m. on a blockchain, so why can't we buy Apple stock on a Sunday afternoon?
Historically, it was about physical limitations—people needed to go home, and clearinghouses needed to settle the literal paperwork. Today, the "close" serves a more psychological and structural purpose.
- Concentrated Liquidity: When everyone trades at the same time, there are more buyers and sellers. This keeps "spreads" (the difference between the buy and sell price) thin. If the market were open 24/7/365, trading at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday would be a nightmare because there would be so few people involved that a single small order could swing the price wildly.
- Human Error and Stability: Even in the age of AI, humans still manage the largest institutional funds. Breaks allow for "cooling off" periods. Without them, a flash crash on a Sunday morning while everyone is at brunch could spiral out of control before anyone can jump in to fix the algorithm.
- Maintenance: The tech stacks behind the NYSE and Nasdaq are incredibly complex. They use the weekends to run updates, stress tests, and security patches that you just can't do while millions of messages per second are hitting the servers.
Pre-Market vs. Regular Hours: Don't Get Burned
If you're new to this, you might see "pre-market" hours starting as early as 4:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning. Just because you can trade then doesn't always mean you should.
Pre-market trading is notoriously thin. I’ve seen stocks jump 5% on a tiny bit of news at 5:00 a.m., only to crash back to zero the moment the "real" market opens at 9:30 a.m. and the big institutional "smart money" enters the room. Honestly, for 90% of people, waiting for the opening bell is the safest bet to ensure you're getting a fair price.
Actionable Steps for the Long Weekend
Since the markets are tucked in for the next couple of days, here is how you can actually be productive instead of just refreshing a dead ticker:
- Audit Your Portfolio: Sundays are great for looking at your "losers." Ask yourself: "If I didn't own this today, would I buy it at this price?" If the answer is no, you might want to set a limit order for Tuesday morning to exit the position.
- Check the Earnings Calendar: Use the extra day to see which companies are reporting this week. In January, we’re often right in the thick of Q4 earnings season.
- Watch the Futures: Tune in at 6:00 p.m. ET tonight. If the S&P 500 futures are deep red or bright green, it gives you a head start on the sentiment for the week, even with the Monday holiday pause.
- Update Your Stop-Losses: Volatility often spikes after a long weekend. Make sure your "safety nets" are at price levels that make sense given the current market climate.
The market might be closed today, but the opportunity to prepare is always open. Enjoy the Sunday break—Tuesday morning will be here before you know it.