The US stock market has 251 trading days in 2026, and it will have 251 again in 2027. The math is simple: 2026 has 261 weekdays, and the New York Stock Exchange closes for 10 holidays that fall on weekdays. Nasdaq follows the same holiday schedule, so the count is the same for nearly all US stocks.
That number moves a little from year to year. For example, 2025 had only 250 sessions because markets closed for an extra day. Below is the full breakdown, the 2026 and 2027 holiday lists, and why traders often use 252 as a round figure.
The short answer: 251 days in 2026
A calendar year has 365 days, or 366 in a leap year. Weekends take out about 104 of them. That leaves 260 or 261 weekdays, depending on which day the year starts. Then the exchange removes its holidays.
In 2026 the year began on a Thursday, so there are 261 weekdays. All 10 NYSE holidays land on weekdays. As a result, 261 minus 10 gives 251 full or partial trading days.
The official schedule is posted on the NYSE holidays and trading hours page, which currently lists the calendar through 2027. Regular trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which is 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. here in Los Angeles.
NYSE and Nasdaq holidays in 2026
Markets close on these days in 2026. Two of them already passed in the fall, and two are still ahead as of late October.
| Holiday | Date in 2026 | Market status |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, January 1 | Closed |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 19 | Closed |
| Washington’s Birthday | Monday, February 16 | Closed |
| Good Friday | Friday, April 3 | Closed |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25 | Closed |
| Juneteenth | Friday, June 19 | Closed |
| Independence Day (observed) | Friday, July 3 | Closed |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 7 | Closed |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26 | Closed |
| Day after Thanksgiving | Friday, November 27 | Early close, 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Christmas Eve | Thursday, December 24 | Early close, 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 | Closed |
Early-close days still count as trading days. However, the session ends three hours early, and volume is usually thin. Some traders skip them for that reason.
Note what is missing from the list. Columbus Day and Veterans Day are federal holidays, but the stock market stays open on both. Banks and the bond market often close, which can confuse new investors.
Trading days by month in 2026
The count per month ranges from 19 to 22. February is the shortest because it has 20 weekdays and one holiday. Months with five full weeks of weekdays and no holiday reach 22.
| Month | Trading days | Month | Trading days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | July | 22 |
| February | 19 | August | 21 |
| March | 22 | September | 21 |
| April | 21 | October | 22 |
| May | 20 | November | 20 |
| June | 21 | December | 22 |
By quarter, that works out to 61 sessions in the first quarter, 62 in the second, and 64 in each of the last two. From Monday, November 2, through December 31, 2026, there are 42 trading days left in the year.
These figures come from counting weekdays and removing the holidays in the NYSE schedule. If the exchange adds an unplanned closure, the count drops by one.
Why the number changes from year to year
Three things move the total. First, the weekday count shifts with the calendar. A year that starts on a Saturday or Sunday has only 260 weekdays, while most others have 261. Leap years can reach 262.
Second, holidays sometimes fall on weekends. When July 4 is a Saturday, as it is in 2026, the market closes on Friday instead. When it lands on a Sunday, the market closes on Monday. Still, one exception exists: if New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday, the NYSE does not close on the Friday before. That is why 2027 keeps December 31 as a normal trading day even though January 1, 2028, is a Saturday.
Third, the exchange can close for special events. In 2025 the NYSE closed on January 9 for the national day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. So 2025 had 11 closures and 250 sessions. Rare closures like this have also followed major storms and national emergencies.
Why traders use 252 trading days
Finance textbooks and risk models often assume 252 trading days per year. It is a convenient average, not an official count. Real years land between about 250 and 253.
The number matters because many statistics are scaled from daily to yearly. For example, to turn a daily volatility figure into an annual one, analysts multiply it by the square root of 252, which is about 15.9. A stock with 1% daily volatility therefore has roughly 15.9% annual volatility.
The same logic applies to returns. If you know an average daily return, you can estimate a yearly figure by compounding over 252 days. In practice, the difference between 251 and 252 is tiny, so most people keep the round number.
Traders who track daily patterns, such as day traders, care more about the exact calendar. If you are new to this, our guide to stock trading for beginners covers how orders and sessions work. Also, short-term traders should know the current day trading rules, because they changed in 2026.
Other markets keep different calendars
Not every market follows the stock exchange schedule. Here is how the main ones compare.
- Bond market. US bond trading follows recommendations from SIFMA, the industry group, which published its 2026 and 2027 recommendations in December 2025. Its holiday schedule adds full closures on Columbus Day and Veterans Day, which falls on Wednesday, November 11, in 2026. It also recommends 2:00 p.m. early closes before some holidays.
- Futures. Many futures contracts trade nearly 24 hours on weekdays, with short daily breaks. Holiday hours vary by product, so check the exchange calendar for each contract.
- Foreign exchange. Currency trading runs around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon, US time, because trading moves between global centers.
- Crypto. Most crypto platforms run every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. That means 365 or 366 trading days, although liquidity drops at night and on weekends.
- Foreign stock exchanges. Each country sets its own holidays. London, Tokyo and Hong Kong close on different days, so their totals differ from the US count. Asian markets such as Singapore, which has drawn attention from foreign investors, follow local holiday calendars.
The 2027 stock market holiday calendar
The NYSE has already published next year’s schedule. Again there are 10 weekday holidays and 261 weekdays, so 2027 also has 251 trading days.
| Holiday | Date in 2027 |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday, January 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 18 |
| Washington’s Birthday | Monday, February 15 |
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 31 |
| Juneteenth (observed) | Friday, June 18 |
| Independence Day (observed) | Monday, July 5 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 6 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 25 |
| Christmas Day (observed) | Friday, December 24 |
The only scheduled early close in 2027 so far is Friday, November 26, the day after Thanksgiving. Because Christmas falls on a Saturday, the market closes on Friday, December 24, instead.
For more explainers on markets, taxes and personal finance, see our money and business guides.
This article is general information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How many stock trading days are in a year?
Usually 250 to 252. In 2026 and 2027 the US stock market has 251 trading days each, while 2025 had 250 because of an extra closure in January.
Is the stock market open on Veterans Day?
Yes. The NYSE and Nasdaq are open on Veterans Day, November 11, 2026. The bond market, however, is recommended to close that day.
How many trading days are left in 2026?
Starting Monday, November 2, there are 42 sessions left in 2026. That includes two early-close days, November 27 and December 24.
Why do analysts use 252 trading days?
It is a standard average used to annualize daily figures, such as volatility and returns. The real count in a given year is usually within one or two days of it.
Does the stock market trade on weekends?
No. US stock exchanges trade Monday through Friday only. Some brokers offer limited overnight or extended sessions on weekdays, but there is no regular weekend session.
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