Are markets closed on all holidays, or just the most important holidays?

Each country is different. However, you can assume that major national holidays will result in the closure of financial markets. In the United States, the following holiday closures are in effect: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There are partial holidays the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), and Christmas Eve. During those days, markets run from 9:30 AM - 1 PM. EST. In the US, when holidays fall on Saturdays, markets close on the Friday. When holidays are on Sundays, markets close on Mondays.

On which days are South African markets closed?

The trading hours of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) are from Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM. There are 10 market holidays that the JSE observes, including: New Year's Day, Human Rights Day, Good Friday, Family Day, Freedom Day, Youth Day, Woman's Day, Heritage Day, Day of Reconciliation, and Christmas. Markets are not open on Saturdays and Sundays. The JSE does not feature pre-market trading nor does it have after-hours trading. You can only trade during regular trading hours outside of the national holidays.

Is there more volatility just before the markets close for the holidays?

According to various sources, the pre-holiday effect is a real phenomenon. Markets tend to gain ground just before the holiday kicks in. Extensive research over the years indicates that can be as much as a tenfold increase in returns in the pre-holiday sessions of trading compared to regular trading sessions. In the run-up to Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, stock prices tend to balloon, yet there is less liquidity in the stock markets since many people are away, or with family. There is a greater degree of optimism during the holiday period, so this bodes well for stock prices.

Holiday Trading Hours in 2022

Holiday Hours

Trading hours are Sun 22:00 GMT to Fri 22:00 GMT

Holiday trading hours

At AvaTrade we provide excellent service to our clients from all over the world, with dedicated account managers and customer service available in 14 languages. As long as the markets are open our clients can contact us directly by phone, email or live chat. However, during global holidays the markets are closed, and no trading actions are available. Different countries celebrate their own holidays and each Stock Exchange has its own working hours and days. Additionally, some markets close early (half-day trading) which could be for example the day after Thanksgiving in the USA. While we make every effort to provide you with complete, updated market information there are also times that the global markets are subject to emergency closures, that are generally unannounced last minute occurrences. However, AvaTrade endeavors to update all our traders as and when these occasions happen. It is important to follow the holiday trading hours and plan your trades accordingly. For this month trading hours, click here.

Trading hours

Opening: Sunday 22:00 GMT Closing: Friday 22:00 GMT

** Market trading hours are subject to change due to holidays and events around the world. Check out the latest holiday trading hours PDF for up-to-date information.