Presidents Day 2026: If you’re planning to place trades on Presidents Day, here’s the clear answer: no, the U.S. stock market is closed.
Presidents Day, officially called Washington’s Birthday, is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of February. In 2026, it falls on Monday, February 16. Because it’s a federal holiday, the major U.S. exchanges shut down for the day.
Which Markets Are Closed?
Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are closed on Presidents Day. That means:
- No regular trading in stocks
- No ETF trading
- No standard options trading
- No normal session activity on major U.S. exchanges
The bond market also follows the holiday schedule and is closed.
Markets reopen on Tuesday, February 17, at the usual 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
What About Stock Futures?
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Even though the main exchanges are closed, stock index futures often trade in lighter, holiday-thinned sessions. Leading into Presidents Day 2026, futures for the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones Industrial Average were slightly higher in thin trading.
Lower volume is common before and during a holiday. Fewer participants means smaller moves can look bigger than they really are. So holiday futures activity doesn’t always reflect strong conviction from the broader market.
Why the Market Closes
The exchanges follow the federal holiday calendar. Presidents Day is one of several U.S. holidays when trading pauses. Others include Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
It’s simply part of the standard annual trading schedule.
What This Means for Investors
If you’re an active trader, you’ll need to plan around the closure. Orders won’t execute during regular market hours because there aren’t any.
Long-term investors? It’s just a one-day pause. The market resumes normal activity the next business day.
The bigger picture usually matters more than a single holiday. Around Presidents Day, traders are often focused on economic data, inflation readings, and signals from the Federal Reserve that could shape interest rate expectations in the weeks ahead.
Bottom line: U.S. stock markets are closed on Presidents Day, but they reopen the following Tuesday with normal trading hours.