Yes, the stock market is open on Columbus Day. Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq run a normal trading session on the second Monday in October, even though the federal government treats the day as a public holiday. In 2026, that Monday falls on October 12.1New York Stock Exchange. Holidays and Trading Hours2Nasdaq. US Stock Market Holiday Schedule
Trading Hours That Day
The core session runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, with no early close. Extended-hours trading also operates on its normal schedule: on NYSE Arca, the early session opens at 4:00 a.m. ET and the late session runs until 8:00 p.m. ET.1New York Stock Exchange. Holidays and Trading Hours You can place orders through the day exactly as you would on any other Monday.
What Is Closed on Columbus Day
The bond market shuts down. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends a full close for trading in U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income securities, including Treasuries, corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, and municipal debt. The recommendation is not legally binding, but the industry follows it nearly universally.3SIFMA. Holiday Schedule4Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. SIFMA Fixed Income Market Close Recommendations The Bureau of the Fiscal Service is also closed, so no new Treasury debt is issued or settled.5Bureau of the Fiscal Service. 2026 OTCnet Federal Holiday Notices
The Federal Reserve System observes the day as an official holiday. All twelve regional Reserve Banks close, and the payment infrastructure they operate, including Fedwire, shuts down.6Federal Reserve. K.8 – Holidays Observed by the Federal Reserve System 2026-2030 Most commercial banks and credit unions close their branches as a result. ATMs and mobile apps generally stay available for balance checks and internal transfers.
The Settlement Mismatch Matters More Than the Open Bell
Most U.S. equity trades settle on a T+1 basis, meaning one business day after the trade date.7eCFR. 17 CFR 240.15c6-1 – Settlement Cycle For settlement purposes, though, a “business day” requires the banking system to be operational, and Columbus Day does not qualify. That pushes money settlement to the next open banking day.
For the 2026 Columbus Day weekend, the timing looks like this:
- Trades executed Friday, October 9 would normally settle Monday under T+1. Because no money settlement occurs on Columbus Day, settlement pushes to Tuesday, October 13.
- Trades executed Monday, October 12 also settle Tuesday, October 13, the next day when both exchanges and the banking system are running.
Two full days of equity trading settle simultaneously on Tuesday.8Federal Register. Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation You can freely buy and sell stocks Monday, but cash from a sale will not reach your bank account until the banking system reopens. Money you transfer from your bank into your brokerage will not clear until Tuesday at the earliest either.
ACH, Wires, and Direct Deposit
Because Fedwire and FedACH are offline, no interbank wire transfers or ACH payments process on Columbus Day. For 2026, FedACH processing ends on Saturday, October 10 at 3:00 a.m. ET and does not resume until Monday, October 12 at 5:30 p.m. ET.9Federal Reserve Financial Services. Holiday Schedules Any ACH transfer initiated over the weekend or on Monday morning, including bill payments and peer-to-peer transfers routed through ACH, will not begin processing until Monday evening.
If your employer’s regular payday falls on Columbus Day, direct deposit may arrive a day late. Banks must make direct-deposit funds available no later than the business day after the banking day the funds are received, and when the banking system is closed on Monday, the deposit cannot arrive until Tuesday.
Options and Margin
The Options Clearing Corporation classifies Columbus Day as a “Bank Holiday Expiration” day, a category for days when banks are closed but markets are open.6Federal Reserve. K.8 – Holidays Observed by the Federal Reserve System 2026-2030 If your account becomes undermargined because of market moves on Columbus Day, you generally have until the close of Fedwire on the next business day to meet the call, since wire transfers cannot process while the banking system is closed. Your broker may still issue the call Monday; you just get extra time to fund it.
Futures, Mutual Funds, and Cross-Border Trading
CME Group, which operates the CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX, stays open on Columbus Day 2026 with normal settlement times for all products.10CME Group. Columbus Day Holiday Settlement Times 2026 Equity index futures, interest rate products, energy contracts, and metals trade and settle on their regular schedules. E-mini S&P 500 futures, crude oil, and gold contracts run without interruption.
Mutual fund companies accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate net asset values as usual, because the stock exchanges are operating. Money settlement still does not occur, so orders placed on Columbus Day are processed and priced, but the actual movement of funds between your bank and the fund does not happen until the next settlement day.11DTCC. 2026 Holiday Schedule
One cross-border wrinkle: Columbus Day coincides with Canadian Thanksgiving, which falls on the same second Monday in October. The Toronto Stock Exchange closes for the Canadian holiday, so if you trade stocks that are cross-listed in the U.S. and Canada, you will find U.S. markets open but the TSX closed.12TMX TSX | TSXV. Calendar