The third Monday in January was officially designated as a federal holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on November 2, 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Reagan said the observance should serve as a yearly opportunity to reflect on the civil rights leader “and the just cause he stood for,” emphasizing the importance of remembering King’s legacy, according to remarks archived by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
Here’s what to know about the status of the stock market on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026.
Is stock market closed on MLK Day 2026?
The US Stock market will not operate on Monday, January 19, in recognition of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, as reported by USA Today. Bond markets will also be closed that day and are scheduled to resume trading on January 20, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
The Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange will be closed on Monday in observance of the federal holiday and are set to reopen for normal trading hours on Tuesday, January 20. Following the MLK Day break, Wall Street is expected to operate on its regular schedule until Monday, February 16, when both stock and bond markets will shut down for Presidents Day.
Also Read: What’s open and closed on MLK Day? Post offices, banks, schools, stock market
US stock market federal holiday schedule 2026
The following are the days on which the US stock market will observe holidays in 2026:
Presidents Day: Monday, Feb. 16
Good Friday: Friday, April 3
Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
Independence Day: Friday, July 3
Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 7
Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 26 (markets will also close at 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 25)
Christmas: Friday, Dec. 25 (markets will also close at 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 24)