Active traders may find themselves waiting until markets close before diving into the Black Friday shopping spree. While many non-retail businesses grant their employees a four-day weekend by taking off Black Friday, financial markets will experience a shortened trading day following Thanksgiving.
Major U.S. stock exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, are scheduled to conclude equity trading at 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday, with bond traders wrapping up even earlier at 2 p.m., according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Sifma).
Thanksgiving week typically witnesses light trading volume, contributing to potentially more volatile market conditions. Historical data dating back to 1950 reveals that, despite the abbreviated trading hours, the S&P 500 has experienced an average movement of plus or minus 1.5% during Thanksgiving week—comparable to the average of 1.6% for all five-day trading periods, as reported by E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.
U.S. stocks have enjoyed a robust rally in November, with the S&P 500 index exiting correction territory on Monday, finishing just under 1% away from its 2023 closing high established on July 31. Month-to-date performance shows the S&P 500 up 8.7% through Wednesday’s close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallying 6.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite experiencing an approximately 11% jump.
