what time the stock market close today usa

Quickly find out what time the stock market close today usa — regular 4:00 p.m. ET session, extended-hours windows, early closes and holiday exceptions. This guide explains standard hours, closing ...

2025-09-25 11:48:00

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U.S. stock market closing times (What time the stock market closes today, USA)

If you searched what time the stock market close today usa, this article gives a clear, practical answer and explains everything traders and investors need to know about today’s scheduled close. You’ll learn the regular market close time, extended-hours windows, closing auction mechanics, early-closes and holiday exceptions, how to convert times to your zone, how to check whether markets are closing today, and how these times affect order execution and trading strategies.

Note: official exchange calendars set the authoritative schedule. For live status check your brokerage or the exchange calendar.

Standard (core) trading hours

The regular (core) trading session for the major U.S. equity exchanges — including the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq — runs Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Weekends are closed for trading. If you’re asking what time the stock market close today usa in the context of normal business days, the short answer is 4:00 p.m. ET.

Key points:

Regular open: 9:30 a.m. ET.
Regular close: 4:00 p.m. ET.
Closed: Saturdays and Sundays (except for certain off-exchange or OTC activity which is limited).

This core session is where the majority of volume, liquidity and price discovery occur. Institutional and retail orders are concentrated in these hours, so execution quality and spreads are usually tighter than outside core hours.

Extended-hours trading (pre-market and after-hours)

Many brokers and electronic trading venues offer extended trading outside the 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET window. If your question what time the stock market close today usa includes after-hours activity, be aware that there are two common extended sessions:

Pre-market: commonly begins as early as 4:00 a.m. ET and runs until the regular open at 9:30 a.m. ET (some brokerages start pre-market later, often 7:00 a.m. ET).
After-hours: commonly begins at 4:00 p.m. ET (regular close) and extends to around 8:00 p.m. ET on many platforms.

Example typical ranges (subject to broker and venue):

Pre-market: ~4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET.
After-hours: ~4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.

Differences vs. core hours:

Liquidity: typically lower in extended hours, leading to wider spreads and possible larger price moves on modest order flow.
Order types: some brokers limit available order types in extended hours (often only limit orders are allowed).
Volatility & price discovery: after earnings releases or major news, extended hours can show sharp moves that may continue or reverse at the regular open.

Because of these differences, many traders prefer to place cautious, limit-based orders outside the core session and to double-check execution policies with their broker.

Exchange-specific schedules and variations

Although the headline market hours are the same (9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET) for the primary U.S. equity exchanges, each exchange has detailed operating rules, opening/closing procedures, and segmentation that can affect execution:

Different venues may run separate matching engines and auctions for various securities or “tapes.”
Some exchanges have staggered opening/closing auctions, or additional pre-open phases that establish the opening price.
Specialist or designated market maker procedures can differ between exchanges and listing tiers.

For precise mechanics, consult the respective exchange’s official hours and auction documentation. Exchange publications include details on phases such as pre-open, continuous trading, and closing auctions.

Closing auction and imbalance periods

The closing auction (also called the closing cross) is a critical microstructure event that determines the official closing price for many listed securities. Important elements:

The auction window typically begins several minutes before the official 4:00 p.m. ET close. During this time, the exchange publishes imbalance information that shows buy/sell imbalances.
Market participants can enter/modify/cancel orders in the auction to help match supply and demand.
At the auction time (the closing cross), the exchange determines a single price that maximizes matched volume — this becomes the official closing price used for indexes, fund NAVs and many end-of-day calculations.

Typical auction timeline details (may vary by exchange):

Final minutes: an order imbalance indicator is displayed, and some venues restrict certain order types.
Closing cross: a computed price that clears the maximum number of shares is selected and trades are printed as the official close.

Because the auction can concentrate liquidity, it’s a common time for institutional rebalancing, ETF creation/redemption flows, and mutual fund NAV-related trading. Retail traders should be aware that placing market orders into the final seconds can lead to executions at unexpected prices if imbalances exist.

Early closings, half-days, and special scheduled closures

U.S. exchanges publish calendars that include early closings (half-days). Typical early-close days and patterns include:

Day after Thanksgiving (often an early close at 1:00 p.m. ET).
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve sometimes have early closes, depending on which weekday they fall.
When certain national observances fall adjacent to weekends, exchanges may designate early-close sessions.

Early-closing times are set by each exchange and publicized in their annual calendars. If you wonder what time the stock market close today usa on a specific calendar date (for example, near a holiday), always check the current year’s exchange calendar for that date.

Holiday schedule and full-day closures

Major federal or observed holidays when U.S. equity exchanges are closed for full trading days commonly include:

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day (Washington’s Birthday)
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Juneteenth National Independence Day
Independence Day (Fourth of July)
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

When a holiday falls on a weekend, exchanges typically observe the holiday on the nearest weekday — e.g., if July 4 falls on a Sunday, the Monday may be observed. Exact dates and any early-close designations are published annually by the exchanges.

As of 2025-12-31, exchange calendars released by the exchanges and financial firms list the specific observed holidays and any early-close dates for the following year. Always consult the current exchange calendar before planning trades around holidays.

Time zones and converting to local time

U.S. exchanges publish hours in Eastern Time. To convert:

Eastern Time (ET) — core: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Central Time (CT): 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET − 1 hour)
Mountain Time (MT): 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET − 2 hours)
Pacific Time (PT): 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (ET − 3 hours)

If you are outside the U.S., calculate the offset from ET (account for Daylight Saving Time differences). For example, when U.S. Eastern Daylight Time is in effect, ET = UTC−4; in Eastern Standard Time, ET = UTC−5. Daylight Saving transition dates in different countries may temporarily change the difference between local time and ET for a week or two.

How to determine if the market is closing “today”

Practical steps to determine what time the stock market close today usa for the current calendar day:

Check the exchange calendar: NYSE and Nasdaq publish annual calendars listing regular hours, early closes and full-day closures.
Confirm with your broker: brokerage platforms typically show market hours, alerts for scheduled closures, and notices for special sessions.
Use official investor resources: government or regulator pages summarize holiday schedules and emergency procedures.
Monitor financial news: outlets report special schedules when markets adopt unusual hours around major events.

Broker status pages and exchange calendars are the most reliable sources to confirm whether markets are operating on a normal schedule or have an early close or holiday closure today.

Impact on orders and trading strategies

Market open and close times — and whether trading occurs in extended hours — materially affect how orders are executed and how traders design strategies:

Market vs. limit orders: Market orders are typically filled quickly during core hours but can execute at unfavorable prices during low-liquidity extended hours or auction imbalances. Limit orders give price control but may not fill.
Execution likelihood: Lower volume in pre- and after-hours can produce partial fills or no fills for larger orders.
Price discovery: Significant news released outside core hours can move quotes substantially in after-hours trading; prices at the next regular open can gap up or down.
Strategy timing: Day traders often target the first 30–60 minutes and the final 30–60 minutes of the core session for higher volatility and volume. Swing traders may avoid executing large orders during auctions or known low-liquidity extended sessions.

Practical retail tips:

If you plan to trade near the close, consider using limit orders and monitoring auction imbalance indicators.
For after-hours moves due to earnings or news, be careful with market orders: price swings and wide spreads are common.
Confirm what your broker allows during extended hours (e.g., order types, margin use, short-selling rules) and whether orders will route to different venues.

This guidance is educational and not investment advice. Make decisions based on your own research and platform rules.

Exceptional closures and market halts

Exchanges can enact extraordinary closures or halts for safety and orderly markets. Two common mechanisms:

Market-wide circuit breakers: Automatic halts triggered by big declines in major indexes (for example, thresholds measured as a percentage decline from the prior close). These can pause trading across the market for predefined intervals.
Single-stock trading halts: Exchanges may halt trading in a specific security for news dissemination, regulatory review, or imbalance resolution.

Exchanges also reserve the right to close early or delay opens due to extreme weather, technical outages, or national emergencies. In such cases, exchanges issue notices through official channels and brokerages update clients.

Comparison to cryptocurrency and other markets

Cryptocurrency markets operate 24/7 with no official holiday closures. This constant market differs from U.S. equity markets that follow scheduled trading hours and holidays. Other markets also vary:

Fixed income and bond markets may have different hours and conventions; some segments close earlier on certain days.
Over-the-counter (OTC) or dark pools run on different rules and hours depending on the venue.

If you are active in both crypto and equities, remember that liquidity and volatility characteristics differ sharply between continuous 24/7 markets and scheduled equity sessions.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: What time does the market close today in ET? A: On a standard trading day, the market closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. If you need the close for a specific date (for example, around a holiday), verify the exchange calendar for that date.

Q: Are markets open on federal holidays? A: Major U.S. equity exchanges are closed on most federal holidays. Refer to the exchange holiday calendar for exact dates.

Q: When are early closes scheduled? A: Early closes occur on select days (commonly the day after Thanksgiving and sometimes the day before or after major holidays). Check the exchange’s published calendar for the year.

Q: Do after-hours trades count as the “close”? A: No. The official closing price used for fund NAVs and many benchmarks is set by the exchange’s closing auction, which is tied to the 4:00 p.m. ET close. After-hours trades are recorded after the official close and do not change that day’s official closing price.

Q: How can I check whether the market is closing early today? A: Visit the exchange calendar (NYSE/Nasdaq), view your broker’s market hours/alerts, or check authoritative investor resources.

Practical checklist: Is the market closing today? (Quick steps)

Step 1: Look up today’s date on the exchange calendar (NYSE/Nasdaq).
Step 2: Confirm with your broker’s alerts or status page.
Step 3: Check for news reports or official notices from exchanges or regulators.
Step 4: If trading near the close, use limit orders and be mindful of auction imbalances.

References and official sources

As of 2025-12-31, exchange hours and holiday calendars published by the primary exchanges list the regular and special hours for the trading year (source: official exchange publications).
As of 2025-12-31, Fidelity’s market-hours guide provides a consolidated summary of stock market hours and holidays (source: Fidelity market-hours reference).
As of 2025-12-31, Cash App and similar brokerage help pages summarize typical pre-market and after-hours ranges and broker-specific rules for extended trading (source: brokerage help pages).
As of 2025-12-31, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and investor.gov describe market halts, circuit breakers, and holiday schedules (source: investor.gov regulatory guidance).
As of 2025-12-31, national news outlets reported on market hour changes and specific holiday/NYE early-close schedules when announced (source: USA Today and regional reporting).

(These references indicate where authoritative information is published. For the most up-to-date, date-specific schedule for "what time the stock market close today usa", consult the exchange calendar or your broker.)

Notes for editors

Keep this article updated yearly with exchange-published holiday and early-close calendars.
The answer to what time the stock market close today usa depends on the current date, exchange announcements, and any emergency actions; verify live before trading.