With Christmas just around the corner, many investors are very curious about what the schedule of the stock market is going to look like in this festive season. Taking, for example, Christmas Eve on 24th December 2024, the New York Stock Exchange will be open but the NASDAQ will do the same with adapted hours.
Christmas Eve stock market hours
On Christmas Eve, the stock market opens at the usual time of 9:30 AM ET but closes earlier at 1:00 PM ET. This is common with many financial markets that usually close early to mark a holiday. For option traders, eligible options will close a bit later at 1:15 PM ET.
Christmas Eve trading conditions
Although the stock market is open for a half day of trading on Christmas Eve, volumes are typically much lighter than usual. The reduced activity can increase volatility and affect stock prices. Investors should know that when there are fewer participants in the market, price fluctuations can be more dramatic, making for a very unique trading environment.
What about Christmas Day?
Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2024, will be a holiday for the stock market. With the federal holiday, the trading on both NYSE and NASDAQ will not begin until Thursday, December 26. In other words, to sell or buy stocks, one has to get it done ahead of time before the early close on Christmas Eve or during Christmas and break on the 25th.
Can I buy and sell stocks at Christmas?
Investors looking to trade in stocks during the Christmas period have to weigh their options carefully. As much as trading is available on Christmas Eve up to 1:00 PM ET, there are no ways to buy or sell stocks on Christmas Day when the market is closed.
Some brokerages do permit extended hours trading. Besides the normal market timings, investors can trade in pre-market and after-hours trading sessions. Pre-market trading usually takes place between 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET, and after-hours trading between 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET. The investor is also exposed to low liquidity and high volatility during such sessions compared to normal market hours.
Investor takeaway points
- The stock market will be open on Christmas Eve, with a closing time of 1:00 PM ET.
- On Christmas Day itself, it is closed. Trade is again opened on December 26.
- Light volumes have a risk of increasing volatility for the day on Christmas Eve.
- Extended hours trading options allow one to trade into normal operating hours, but a bit risky.Â
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