BREAKING: U.S. stocks will trade on Christmas Eve, but the session will be short. The NYSE and Nasdaq will open on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and close early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Christmas Day is a full market holiday. No trading then. Plan accordingly. Liquidity will be thin, spreads will be wider, and mistakes will be costly.
The schedule, set and short
Here is the simple answer. Yes, markets open on Christmas Eve. No, it is not a full day. The closing bell will ring at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. After-hours trading will also be shortened, and activity will be sparse.
The U.S. bond market will follow an early close at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. That matters for pricing, settlement, and any cross-asset hedges. Options on equities and ETFs will match the 1:00 p.m. close.
Futures and commodities will run on modified schedules. Some contracts will pause around midday. Others will halt early and resume in the next session. Check the specific product hours if you hedge with futures.
Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, is closed across equities, options, and bonds. Trading resumes on Friday, December 26, under normal hours. That gap in the calendar will affect settlement and cash movements.
Early close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on December 24. Full closure on December 25. Regular hours return on December 26.
What this means for your trades
Holiday sessions are not normal sessions. Fewer firms make markets. Many desks run with small teams. That leads to lighter volume and wider bid ask spreads. Prices can jump on small orders. Stop orders can trigger at bad levels. Market orders can fill far from the last trade.
Expect more price gaps at the open and the close. Expect less depth in the book. If you need to move size, think twice. Time your orders for the most liquid windows. The open and the final hour are usually best, even on a short day.
Settlement also shifts. U.S. stocks now settle in one business day. A trade on Wednesday would normally settle Thursday. Not this week. With Thursday closed, that trade settles on Friday. That matters for cash availability, margin, and tax lot timing.
Do not assume T plus one timing is unchanged. A Wednesday trade settles Friday in this holiday week. Plan your cash and collateral needs.
Banks, brokers, and clearing
Most bank branches will run reduced hours on Christmas Eve. Many will close early. Christmas Day is a federal holiday. Branches will be closed, and wires will not move. Online banking is available, but live support will be limited.
Brokerages will mirror the exchange close. Order entry may cut off earlier for certain products. Options exercise notices can have moved deadlines. Clearing firms will adjust batch processing times. Margin calls can hit earlier in the day.
If you use ACH or wires to fund a trade, send the money early. Do not count on a last minute transfer to land before the 1:00 p.m. bell. If you plan to withdraw proceeds, expect delays until Friday.
Strategy checks before the bell
Traders do not get extra points for being heroic on a holiday. You get points for clean execution. Tighten your plan and keep risk simple.
- Use limit orders, not market orders, to control price.
- Break large orders into smaller clips across the morning.
- Avoid complex spreads that need perfect fills.
- Confirm order routing and cutoffs with your broker.
If you manage hedges across stocks, options, and futures, align the clocks. Some futures will trade a bit longer than cash equities. That can leave you exposed after 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Decide now whether you want that risk.
Check your broker’s holiday notice today. Confirm cutoffs for options exercise, conditional orders, and cash transfers. Five minutes now can save a costly error later.
Market backdrop
Short sessions often mute headline moves, but they do not erase risk. If a major data point or company update hits, thin books can magnify the move. Volatility can spike into the close as desks square positions. Watch liquidity, not just price.
For long term investors, the calendar change is noise. For active traders, it is a different game. Price discovery is fragile. Discipline matters more than speed.
The bottom line
Markets will open on Christmas Eve, then close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. They will be closed on Christmas Day. Expect thin liquidity, wider spreads, and shifted settlement. Keep orders precise. Confirm your broker’s cutoffs. Get your cash timing right. Trade the day you have, not the day you wish you had. 🎄⏰
