Financial markets holidays
Check financial market trading hours and holidays to plan your trades with greater confidence.
Key Holidays in October 2026
Full Market Trading Hours Schedule
All times are shown in MT5 server time. Check the calendar or the cards at the top of the page to see changes for each market.
| Symbol | Thu · Oct 1, 2026 | Mon · Oct 19, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Forex | ||
| All FX Pairs | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| Metals | ||
| XAUUSD | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| XAUEUR | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| XAGUSD | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| XAGEUR | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| XPDUSD | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| XPTUSD | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| Cryptocurrencies | ||
| All Crypto CFDs | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| Indices | ||
| NE25.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| AUS200.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| DE40.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| DJ30.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| ES35.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| F40.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| HK50.c | Closed | Closed |
| JP225.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| STOXX50.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| SW120.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| UK100.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| US500.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| USTEC.C | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| TY10.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| US2000.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| Energies | ||
| USOIL.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
| UKOIL.c | Normal hours | Normal hours |
Check the market schedule around holidays
Reduced market liquidity
During holidays, market liquidity may decrease.
Wider Spreads
During holidays, spreads on some instruments may widen.
Changes to Margin and Swap
During holidays, swap calculation times or margin conditions may change.
Updated Monthly
The market calendar is updated every month.
Frequently Asked Questions About Financial markets holidays
The Forex market is decentralized, so it doesn’t “close” in the traditional sense. However, during Christmas and New Year’s Day, the majority of the world’s largest banks (the liquidity providers) are closed. While you might technically be able to place a trade, the spreads are often extremely wide, and liquidity is very low, making it a high-risk environment.
Yes, they are fundamentally different. Forex is a global, over-the-counter (OTC) market that operates 24/5, meaning it only truly closes on weekends (and occasionally on major global holidays like Christmas). Stocks, however, are traded on centralized exchanges (like the NYSE) and must follow the specific national and federal holidays of the country where that exchange is located.
The most reliable way is to refer to the Live Market Status table located at the top of this page. It provides real-time updates on which sessions (Sydney, Tokyo, London, New York) are currently open and the exact countdown to the next market open or close.
Yes, often. On the eve of a major holiday—such as the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas—many exchanges and banks observe “early close” hours. We recommend checking the specific market holidays 2026 schedule a few days in advance to avoid having positions left open during a liquidity drop.
Navigating Forex Market Holidays: Your Guide to Global Trading Hours
In the world of high-leverage trading, knowing when the world is sleeping is just as important as knowing when it is awake. Forex market holidays can lead to erratic price action, widened spreads, and a dangerous lack of liquidity. Whether you are a scalper or a swing trader, understanding the trading holidays 2026 schedule is essential to avoid being caught in a “market gap” that could trigger unexpected stop-losses.
Is the Market Open Right Now?
If you are wondering, “is forex market open today?” or “is the stock market open today?”, the fastest way to get an accurate answer is to look upward. Because the global financial landscape operates across multiple time zones and shifts daily, a static text answer would quickly become obsolete.
We provide a Live Market Status Table and a dynamic calendar at the top of this page. Simply check the indicator next to your desired asset class; if it is green, the market is active. If you see that the forex market closed today for a specific session, the timer will tell you exactly how many hours remain until the next open.
Annual Financial Market Holidays (Every Year)
While the specific dates may shift slightly on the calendar, certain financial market holidays occur every year and have a predictable impact on volatility. When consulting your forex holiday calendar, pay close attention to these global events:
– Christmas and New Year: During the period between December 24th and January 1st, Christmas trading hours forex and new year trading hours forex are typically reduced. Liquidity drops significantly as institutional traders go on leave, often leading to “thin” markets and erratic movements.
– Good Friday: This is one of the few times the good friday forex market virtually shuts down. Most major global banks are closed, meaning liquidity vanishes and most brokers stop processing trades for the day.
– Thanksgiving: In the US, thanksgiving forex market hours are shortened. Since the USD is the world’s reserve currency, the closure of US banks significantly affects all pairs involving the Greenback.
Checking a global market holidays calendar is not just about knowing when you can’t trade, but knowing when the lack of volume makes trading high-risk.
US Stock Market Holidays: NYSE and NASDAQ
For traders dealing with Indices or Equities, the rules change. While Forex is decentralized, stocks are tied to specific exchanges. If you are tracking US stock market holidays 2026, you must look at the official nyse holidays 2026 and nasdaq holidays 2026 schedules.
At Otet, our stock and index CFDs strictly follow the official holiday schedules of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ. If the physical exchange in New York is closed for a federal holiday, the corresponding CFD symbols on our platform will also be closed for trading. Be aware that these bank holidays forex events can often create “gaps” where the market opens at a significantly different price than it closed the previous session.