NYSE and Nasdaq trading hours update: Christmas-eve, Christmas, Boxing day, early closures and year-end schedule

With Christmas and New Year coming close together, US stock markets are going through one of the shortest trading periods of the year, where even one holiday or early close can change trade timing. Because of this tight schedule, a single early close can delay trade execution, affect settlement dates, or push a trade into the next week, as cited by Mint. Investors often get confused during this period because stocks, options, and bonds do not always follow the same holiday schedule.

Christmas Eve stock market hours

On Christmas-eve, Wednesday, December 24, 2025, the US stock market will be open, but only for a short time. Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq will close early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Christmas-eve. Some stock options will still trade for a few extra minutes after the early close, depending on the contract. The bond market works differently from stocks and usually closes earlier around holidays, as stated by Yahoo Finance.

On Christmas-eve, bond markets are expected to close around 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, earlier than a normal day. This early close on Christmas-eve is part of the regular exchange calendar and is not linked to federal office closures. On Christmas, Thursday, December 25, 2025, US stock markets will be completely closed. No stock or options trading will take place on Christmas Day. Markets will reopen the very next day after Christmas.

Boxing Day trading session

On Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, 2025, the NYSE and Nasdaq will open for a normal trading session. Even though some federal government offices are closed on December 24 and December 26, stock exchanges will still follow their planned schedule, as stated by Reuters.

US stocks are entering Christmas-eve trading with positive momentum but very limited time to trade. Because Christmas-eve is a half-day, market liquidity is low, meaning small trades can move prices more than usual, as mentioned by TechStock2. Ahead of the Christmas-eve session, stock futures were mostly flat to slightly lower, showing caution among investors.

Year-end market performance and New Year schedule

Investors are balancing strong US economic growth data with concerns about sticky inflation and uncertainty over future Federal Reserve rate cuts.The S&P 500 ended the previous session at a record high of 6,909.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 48,442.41 before Christmas-eve trading. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 23,561.84, supported mainly by big tech stocks. Large technology companies, including Nvidia, played a major role in pushing markets higher.

On New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2025, stock markets are scheduled to operate during normal trading hours. Many investors think stocks close early on New Year’s Eve every year, but this is not true for 2025. Bond markets are different again, with an early close around 2:00 p.m. ET recommended on New Year’s Eve.

On New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, 2026, both the NYSE and Nasdaq will be closed. Stock markets will reopen for normal trading on Friday, January 2, 2026. With holidays packed closely together, investors need to watch the clock carefully, because missing a cut-off by a few hours can mean waiting an extra trading day, as suggested by Mint.

FAQs

Q1. Is the US stock market open on Christmas-eve 2025?

Yes, the NYSE and Nasdaq are open on Christmas-eve but close early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Q2. Are US markets open on Boxing Day 2025?

Yes, the NYSE and Nasdaq reopen for a normal trading session on Boxing Day, December 26, 2025.