US stock markets are scheduled to remain closed on Monday, 25 May, for the Memorial Day holiday, according to reports from Livemint and Goodreturns. The New York Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Nasdaq Stock Market are both closed today, meaning that investors can now resume trading in the US stock market indices, such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq and the Dow Jones, at the usual time of 9.30 am EST on Tuesday. The bond market will remain closed for the holiday, with the US bond market closing early at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, May 22, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. As per the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memorial Day is the nation's foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women, ensuring the complete closure of financial markets.
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May each year to honour and remember military personnel who died while serving the country, both in war and in peacetime, as reported by Livemint and Goodreturns. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers place American flags on graves at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time, according to the US Department of War. Memorial Day is one of three US holidays dedicated to the military, with Armed Forces Day celebrated on the third Saturday of May and Veterans Day on November 11.
According to a Barron's report cited by Livemint, the S&P 500 has gained 0.5% each May over the past 20 years. Over the past decade, that number has increased to roughly 1.5%. The US stocks rose on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average recording weekly gains of 2.13% and ending the week at 50,579.70, as investors cheered signs of progress in talks to end the Middle East conflict and a strong corporate earnings season. The S&P 500 gained nearly 1% to close the week at 7,473.47, and Nasdaq Composite saw 0.5% upside to close the weekly performance at 26,343.97. As per Goodreturns, the S&P 500 notched its eighth consecutive weekly gain, its longest since a nine-week streak ended in December 2023.
While US markets are closed, international markets show mixed operations around Memorial Day. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange will be open normal trading hours both Friday and Monday, according to market reports. However, the London Stock Exchange will be closed on Monday, May 25, as it observes Spring Bank holiday, though off-book trade reporting will continue. EuroNext trading will be open on Monday, except for Oslo, as Monday also marks Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday), a movable Christian holiday that falls after Pentecost. US stock futures in other foreign exchanges are available for trading during the holiday period.
Following the Memorial Day holiday, the US stock market will be closed on five other occasions, with shorter trading days on two others, as reported by Nasdaq. The next US stock market holiday will fall on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth, followed by Independence Day in July. Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas are the other three holidays that will fall in the second half of the year. Wall Street will be closed once in June, July, September, November and December. This week's trading sessions will be flooded with several earnings reports, including Dell, Marvell, Salesforce, and Snowflake among others, along with high-profile retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, Autozone, Best Buy, DICK's Sporting Goods, as reported by Goodreturns. The experts believe oil prices and treasury yields will be primary drivers of the US stock market amidst quarterly earnings and economic data, with progress or lack of progress related to a potential Iran peace deal being a dominant factor.
