How Many Trading Days Are There in 2026?

There are 251 U.S. stock market trading days in 2026.

That’s the number for NYSE and NASDAQ. It’s one day fewer than the usual 252, simply because of how weekends and holidays fall this year.

If you trade interest rate products, the number is higher. Those markets are open for 257 sessions in 2026.

These numbers matter more than most people think. They shape how you set goals, manage risk, and pace yourself through the year.

The full 2026 trading day breakdown

Not all markets follow the same schedule. Stocks, rates, commodities, and FX all have slight differences.

Here’s how the year looks when you break it down month by month:

The commodities and FX column includes energy, metals, agriculture, equity index futures, and currencies.

The main takeaway is simple. Some months give you more chances to trade. Others don’t.

February is the tightest month

February stands out right away. For stocks, it has just 19 trading days.

That makes it the shortest trading month of the year.

This matters because pressure tends to rise when time feels limited. Traders try to “make something happen” instead of waiting for good setups.

Knowing this ahead of time helps you stay patient. You can lower expectations slightly and avoid forcing trades just to hit a number.

Longer months give more breathing room

March, July, October, and December all have 22 trading days for stocks.

Those months tend to feel less rushed. You have more time to recover from slow weeks or mistakes.

That doesn’t mean they’re easier. It just means the calendar isn’t working against you.

Many traders plan their heavier workloads around these longer months without even realizing it.

Trading days aren’t all equal

A trading day in mid-March doesn’t feel the same as one in late December.

The calendar affects behavior.

Late December is a good example. Even though it has 22 trading days, liquidity often drops in the final week.

Large institutions close books early. Risk desks scale back. Some traders are already mentally checked out.

That can lead to wider spreads and odd price moves. If you trade size during that period, execution can be worse than expected.

How many trading weeks are in 2026?

There are 52 trading weeks in 2026.

But full five-day weeks are less common than people assume.

With ten full-market holidays, many weeks end up shortened. Roughly one out of every five weeks has fewer than five sessions.

That changes how the market behaves.

Short weeks have a different rhythm

Weeks with a Monday holiday often feel compressed. Tuesday mornings can be busy as traders react to news that built up over the long weekend.

Other shortened weeks feel slow. If a holiday lands on a Friday, some traders don’t want to open new positions earlier in the week.

Knowing which weeks are shortened helps you avoid misreading the market’s mood.

Full U.S. market holidays in 2026

On these days, the U.S. stock market is completely closed.

No regular trading. No opening bell. No closing bell.

Here’s the full list for 2026:

• New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
• Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 16
• Good Friday: Friday, April 3
• Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
• Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
• Independence Day (observed): Friday, July 3
• Labor Day: Monday, September 7
• Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
• Christmas Day: Friday, December 25

One thing to note this year: July 4 falls on a Saturday, so the holiday is observed on Friday, July 3.

That creates a long weekend and a shortened trading week.

Early closes matter more than people think

In addition to full holidays, there are a few early closes each year.

On these days, the market shuts down at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

In 2026, early closes happen on:

• Thursday, July 2
• Friday, November 27 (Black Friday)
• Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

These sessions are usually quiet. Volume is low. Moves can feel random.

Many professional traders skip them entirely. There’s often little reward and more noise.

If you do trade them, smaller size usually makes sense.

Short months affect behavior

February’s 19 trading days don’t just change totals. They change psychology.

When traders feel behind early in the month, they often increase risk instead of adjusting expectations.

That’s how small drawdowns turn into big ones.

Being aware of the calendar ahead of time helps you stay disciplined.

Treat the calendar like a tool

Good traders know when the market is open, when it’s closed, and when it’s half-open.

Here are a few practical steps for 2026.

Update your systems

Make sure your platforms, alerts, and automated tools reflect the correct holiday schedule.

There’s no reason to get alerts on days when nothing is trading.

Adjust monthly expectations

February should not have the same targets as October.

Longer months give you more flexibility. Shorter months require patience.

The calendar helps you plan instead of react.

Remember global markets don’t match

If you trade currencies or international stocks, the U.S. calendar is only one piece.

Other countries have their own holidays. Liquidity can drop even when U.S. markets are open.

That matters for execution and volatility.

Financial years differ around the world

Trading calendars don’t always line up with financial years.

Here’s how some major countries structure theirs:

One odd detail: the UK personal tax year starts on April 6, not April 1.

It’s a historical quirk that still affects reporting and taxes today.

Final summary for 2026

Here’s the clean overview:

That’s the full trading year.

Nothing fancy. Nothing unusual. Just a slightly shorter stock market calendar.

When you know the exact number of days, planning gets easier. Goals feel more realistic. Pressure drops.

Trading is about consistency over time. And time, in this business, is measured one trading day at a time.

If you want help breaking your 2026 goals into daily or monthly targets using this calendar, I can do that next!