Investors and traders planning their year-end strategies, take note: Wall Street will conduct business as usual on the final day of 2025. The major US stock exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq, will remain open for a full day of trading on Wednesday, 31 December 2025. This is ahead of the official market closure for New Year's Day.
New Year's Eve Trading and Holiday Schedule
Contrary to some year-end sessions that see early closures, 31 December 2025 will be a full-length trading day. The markets will open at the regular time of 9:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The official holiday calendars for both NYSE and Nasdaq confirm that trading activities will cease only after the session concludes that day.
The next market holiday follows immediately. US stock markets are scheduled to be closed on Thursday, 1 January 2026 in observance of New Year's Day. This closure allows market participants to celebrate the beginning of the calendar year 2026.
Recent Market Performance and Upcoming Calendar
As traders prepare for the year-end session, recent data provides context. On the previous trading day, 30 December 2025, key indices closed in negative territory. According to MarketWatch, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 48,461.93 points, marking a decline of 0.51%. The S&P 500 index closed 0.35% lower at 6,905.74 points. Similarly, the Nasdaq Composite ended the day down 0.50% at 23,474.35 points.
It is standard practice for US exchanges to announce all scheduled holidays at the start of the year. These predetermined closures are occasionally preceded by half-day sessions, but that is not the case for this New Year's Eve.
Complete List of US Stock Market Holidays for 2026
For forward planning, here is the official list of market holidays on the NYSE calendar for 2026:
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, 1 January 2026
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — Monday, 19 January 2026
- Washington’s Birthday — Monday, 16 February 2026
- Good Friday — Friday, 3 April 2026
- Memorial Day — Monday, 25 May 2026
- Juneteenth National Independence Day — Friday, 19 June 2026
- Independence Day (observed) — Monday, 3 July 2026
- Labor Day — Monday, 7 September 2026
- Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, 26 November 2026
- Christmas Day — Friday, 25 December 2026
This schedule is crucial for global investors, including those in India, who track and trade in US markets. Understanding these closures helps in managing portfolios and timing international investments effectively as one year transitions into the next.
