When you wake up and wonder “Is Wall Street open today?”, you’re really asking two things:
- Whether the official exchanges — like the NYSE and Nasdaq — are operating today, and
- What that means for trading, investors, and market activity.
Today — Sunday, December 28, 2025 — the answer is straightforward:
🔒 No — the US stock market is not open today. Stocks on the major U.S. exchanges are closed.
Let’s unpack that in plain language, with clear explanations so you really understand what’s going on and why.
Understanding US Stock Market Hours
The U.S. stock market isn’t open 24/7 like a grocery store. It follows set hours and holiday schedules.
Regular Trading Hours
For the major U.S. stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq — the normal trading hours are:
📌 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Monday through Friday. (New York Stock Exchange)
These hours are often called the “regular session.” This is when the vast majority of trades happen, prices are most liquid, and news gets fully priced into the market.
Extended Hours — Before and After the Official Open
Even though the main market is closed outside these hours, some trading still happens:
- Pre-market: early in the morning before 9:30 a.m. ET
- After-hours: late afternoon up to around 8:00 p.m. ET (Nasdaq)
This extended hours trading allows investors to react to earnings announcements, economic reports, or overnight news. But it’s riskier — there are fewer buyers and sellers, so price swings can be dramatic.
Why the Market Is Closed Today (December 28, 2025)
1. It’s a Weekend Day
U.S. stock exchanges don’t operate on weekends. They observe a Monday–Friday schedule only.
2. We’re In a Holiday Break
The market has just come off a holiday period around Christmas. Here’s how that worked this year:
- December 25 (Christmas Day): Market closed.
- December 26: Markets resumed — regular trading hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
- December 27 (Saturday) & December 28 (Sunday): Closed for the weekend.
So today — a Sunday — the market is naturally closed.
Trading will resume on Monday, December 29, 2025, when normal hours return.
What This Means for You as an Investor
Even though the market is closed today, financial life doesn’t stop:
📌 1. You Can Still Place Orders
Most brokerage platforms allow you to enter trades ahead of Monday — they’ll simply queue your orders until the market opens.
📌 2. You Can Follow Extended Hours Markets
If you’re active in pre-market or after-hours trading, prices may still move due to earnings reports or news events — but be careful: liquidity is lower and volatility is higher.
📌 3. Indicators and Futures Still Move
Even though the NYSE and Nasdaq are closed, stock index futures (like the S&P 500 futures) trade nearly around the clock and can give you a sense of what Monday might look like.
📌 4. Market Psychology Matters
The period between Christmas and New Year’s is often lighter on volume and driven by what analysts call the “Santa Claus Rally” — a seasonal uptick in stock prices that sometimes happens in late December and early January. (Barron’s)
Quick Recap: Today’s Market Status
| Day | Market Open? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Dec 28, 2025 | ❌ Closed | Weekend + holiday break |
| Monday, Dec 29, 2025 | ✅ Open 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET | Resume normal trading |
| Extended Hours | ⚠️ Yes | Pre-market and after-hours trade still possible |
Why Knowing Market Hours Matters
It’s not just a scheduling detail — hours influence:
- Volatility (how much prices swing)
- Liquidity (how easy it is to buy or sell)
- News impact (earnings or economic data is often released outside regular hours)
Investors who understand market timing can make better decisions about when to trade, why prices move, and how to interpret activity around holidays and weekends.
Final Thoughts
So, no — the US stock market is not open today. It’s Sunday and the exchanges stay closed until the next regular trading day. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless — news, futures, and extended hours trading can still shape what happens next.
Whether you’re a seasoned trader or a curious beginner, knowing when markets operate — and why — is one of the first steps toward smarter investing.