Is Futures Market Closed Today? 2026 Trading Hours & Holidays

Navigating the futures market schedule requires more than just a quick glance at the standard calendar. Unlike cash stock markets, futures operate nearly continuously across a 23-hour daily cycle, making it critical to track specific maintenance halts and complex holiday exceptions. Because different asset classes and global exchanges observe distinct closure rules, traders who make broad assumptions can easily get caught off guard by unannounced liquidity drops or trapped positions. This guide breaks down the precise 2026 futures trading hours, holiday schedules, and margin risks to help you plan your execution strategies flawlessly.

Is the Futures Market Open or Closed Today?

The U.S. futures market operates nearly continuously, running 23 hours a day. For traders asking when does futures market open on Sunday, the standard Globex electronic session begins at 6:00 p.m. ET, initiating the Monday trade date, and runs until Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET. Outside of weekend closures, trading halts only for a daily 60-minute maintenance window (5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET) and designated exchange holidays.

To determine if the futures market is closed today, you must map the specific asset class against the CME Group or ICE holiday calendars. Unlike the cash stock market, which shuts down entirely on recognized holidays, the futures market frequently utilizes abbreviated schedules. Traders holding positions during a holiday must account for the fact that Globex trading typically resumes at 6:00 p.m. ET on the holiday itself to begin the following day's trade cycle.

What Day Is It and Does It Fall on a Known Holiday?

Futures market operations depend directly on 10 recognized U.S. federal and market holidays, which dictate either partial halts or full closures. The CME Group and ICE explicitly distinguish between full suspension days—where no trading occurs—and abbreviated sessions where trading halts midday.

• Full Closures: The market shuts down completely on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. If you are asking is the futures market open on Good Friday, the answer is no for U.S. equities, interest rates, and agricultural products. Currency and energy markets may observe shortened hours depending on international banking overlap, but core domestic contracts are halted.
• Partial Closures (Abbreviated Sessions): On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving, futures do not close entirely. Instead, core contracts halt early—typically at 1:00 p.m. ET for equities and 1:15 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. ET for interest rates and commodities.

When planning around holiday trading hours, traders must distinguish between the execution time and the trade date. A contract executed at 7:00 p.m. ET on Memorial Day is recorded as Tuesday's trade date, not Monday's. Volume during these abbreviated sessions is typically a fraction of average daily volume, leading to wider bid-ask spreads and higher slippage.

Which Futures Exchanges Are Affected — CME, CBOT, NYMEX, or Others?

Exchange rules dictate specific holiday schedules, meaning an agricultural contract may be entirely closed while an energy contract remains open. The CME Group operates four primary Designated Contract Markets (DCMs), and each enforces distinct trading hours based on the liquidity and international dependency of its underlying assets.

Outside of the CME umbrella, intercontinental exchanges like ICE (which lists Brent Crude and Sugar) or Eurex (DAX, Bund) follow their respective regional holiday calendars. A U.S. holiday like Thanksgiving forces an early halt on CME's ES futures trading hours, but European contracts on Eurex will trade their standard session unhindered. Traders verifying CME trading hours today must confirm the specific DCM governing their contract, as broad assumptions about market hours routinely result in trapped positions during unannounced holiday halts.

What Are the Regular Futures Market Trading Hours in 2026?

Beyond holiday exceptions, answering whether the futures market is closed today requires checking the time against the exchange's daily maintenance cycle. Because the trading day spans two calendar days, a session that settles on Tuesday officially begins trading on Monday night. All official exchange times use Eastern Time (ET) as the benchmark.

CME Globex Sunday–Friday Electronic Session Hours

As established, CME Globex electronic trading begins on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET and runs continuously until the weekly close on Friday at 5:00 PM ET. For traders asking when does futures market open on sunday, the exact time is 6:00 PM ET (5:00 PM Central Time) for the vast majority of liquid products.

Determining cme trading hours today requires knowing the specific asset class, as settlement times vary slightly before the universal daily close.

When checking when does futures market open today during the standard work week (Monday through Thursday), the answer is always 6:00 PM ET. This evening open marks the beginning of the next calendar day's trading session.

When Does the Daily Trading Halt Happen?

The primary daily trading halt across CME Globex occurs between 5:00 PM ET and 6:00 PM ET from Monday through Thursday. This mandatory 60-minute window allows the exchange to perform system maintenance, process daily settlements, and formally roll the servers over to the next trading date. All futures markets are closed during this hour.

For equity index traders, a critical distinction exists between the daily halt and the afternoon operational pause. Standard es futures trading hours include a brief blackout period prior to the main maintenance window to align with the cash market settlement.

The exact afternoon sequence for U.S. equity index futures is:

• 4:00 PM ET: U.S. cash equity markets (NYSE, Nasdaq) close.
• 4:15 PM ET – 4:30 PM ET: Operational pause. Equity futures trading halts completely for 15 minutes.
• 4:30 PM ET – 5:00 PM ET: Trading resumes. This 30-minute window is characterized by low liquidity but remains active for late positioning.
• 5:00 PM ET – 6:00 PM ET: Full daily maintenance halt. All asset classes are closed.
• 6:00 PM ET: The next trading session officially begins.

Interest rate, energy, and metals futures do not experience the 4:15 PM ET pause; they trade uninterrupted until the 5:00 PM ET system-wide daily halt.

Full List of Futures Market Holidays and Early Closes in 2026

As introduced earlier, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) alter their standard trading schedules for 10 recognized holidays, but the exact dates shift annually. In 2026, traders asking "is futures market closed today" must differentiate between the underlying asset classes, as equity index futures (like the E-mini S&P 500) often follow a different halt schedule than energy or agricultural commodities.

2026 U.S. Futures Market Holiday Schedule

Which U.S. Federal Holidays Shut Down Futures Trading?

Only two U.S. federal holidays—New Year’s Day and Christmas Day—trigger a complete, 24-hour trading halt across all domestic futures exchanges. A frequent point of confusion arises when traders ask, is the futures market open on good friday? Good Friday (April 3, 2026) is an exchange holiday that mandates a full market shutdown, even though it is not a recognized U.S. federal banking holiday.

During these three full closures, there is no overnight session. Standard operations resume when the next regular session begins. For example, if a trader is wondering when does futures market open on sunday following a Friday holiday closure, the standard Sunday evening open at 6:00 PM EST (3:00 PM PST) remains in effect unless otherwise announced by the CME.

Are There Any Partial or Early-Close Days to Watch For?

As outlined, the majority of U.S. federal holidays do not stop trading entirely; they force an abbreviated schedule. On days like MLK Day, Presidents Day, Juneteenth, and Labor Day, the CME trading hours today will typically halt early for equities and interest rates.

• Standard Early Close Times: ES futures trading hours usually halt at 1:00 PM EST (10:00 AM PST) on partial holidays. Trading resumes later that evening at the standard 6:00 PM EST time for the next day's trade date.
• Asset-Class Discrepancies: While equities halt at 1:00 PM EST, energy and metals futures (WTI Crude, Gold) often trade until 2:30 PM EST on partial holidays.
• The Liquidity Trade-off: Trading during partial holiday sessions carries distinct risks. Because institutional volume drops significantly when bond and cash equity markets are closed, the futures market becomes structurally thin. This low liquidity frequently leads to wider bid-ask spreads, erratic price spikes, and higher slippage on market orders. Retail traders holding positions into a 1:00 PM EST holiday halt also assume gap risk when the market reopens at 6:00 PM EST.

Do International Futures Markets Follow the Same Holiday Schedule?

No, international derivatives exchanges operate strictly on local settlement calendars and ignore U.S. holidays entirely. This creates trading windows where U.S. futures are halted but global macro proxies remain active.

• Eurex (Europe): The primary European exchange remains fully open during U.S. Thanksgiving and July 4th. However, it shuts down for regional holidays like Easter Monday (April 6, 2026) and Boxing Day (December 26), days when U.S. markets may be running standard schedules.
• ICE Futures Europe: Contracts like Brent Crude follow the UK Bank Holiday calendar. If a U.S. trader holds a spread position between WTI Crude (CME) and Brent Crude (ICE Europe), they must manage the legs separately during asymmetric holidays, as one leg may halt while the other continues pricing in real-time geopolitical risk.

Does a Futures Market Holiday Affect All Contracts the Same Way?

Because a futures market holiday does not impose a blanket closure across all contracts, navigating these sessions requires knowing your specific product. Exchange operators like CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) set distinct trading hours for different asset classes based on the operational hours of their underlying cash markets and global demand. When determining whether the futures market is closed today, traders must identify both the specific exchange and the asset class in question. A federal holiday often results in a full closure for agricultural products, while equity and energy derivatives simply shift to an abbreviated session.

Do Equity, Energy, and Agricultural Futures All Close Together?

Asset classes follow divergent holiday schedules, meaning the exact time a specific contract halts trading depends entirely on its category. Agricultural futures typically observe hard closures on US holidays because they are tightly coupled to domestic physical cash markets. Conversely, equity index and energy futures cater to a global electronic trading audience and routinely remain open for partial sessions on days when the US stock market is closed.

The exact behavior depends on whether the holiday is considered minor (like MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Juneteenth, or Labor Day) or major (like Good Friday or Christmas).

For equity and energy contracts, these abbreviated sessions usually resume for the next trade date at standard times. For example, ES futures trading hours typically pause at 1:00 PM EST on a minor holiday Monday, reopening later that same evening at 6:00 PM EST to begin the Tuesday session.

What Happens to Open Positions When the Market Is Closed?

Open futures positions remain active on the clearing firm's ledger but cannot be liquidated, hedged, or adjusted until the electronic matching engine reopens. Mark-to-market accounting pauses at the final settlement price of the abbreviated or pre-holiday session. The primary mechanical impacts of holding contracts through a market closure involve gap risk, margin adjustments, and order execution delays.

Gap Risk and Stop-Loss Slippage Macroeconomic data releases, geopolitical events, and physical supply shocks do not pause for exchange holidays. When the futures market opens on Sunday evening at 6:00 PM EST (or after a mid-week holiday), the opening price routinely gaps above or below the pre-holiday close. Resting Good 'Til Canceled (GTC) stop-loss orders remain in the exchange book during the closure. If the market gaps past a resting stop price upon reopening, the order converts to a market order and fills at the available opening price, frequently resulting in severe slippage.

Pre-Holiday Margin Increases To mitigate the gap risk associated with extended closures, clearinghouses and retail brokerages routinely increase initial margin requirements ahead of long weekends. A broker may require 120% to 150% of the standard initial margin to carry a position into a three-day weekend. Maintenance margin parameters remain intact, but because the market is halted, brokers cannot auto-liquidate underfunded accounts until the matching engine resumes processing trades. Traders failing to meet these elevated pre-holiday margin thresholds often face forced liquidation in the final minutes of the Friday or pre-holiday trading session.

FAQs about is futures market closed today

Is the futures market open right now?

Yes, the electronic futures market is currently open. Major exchanges like CME Globex operate continuously from Sunday evening to Friday evening. Trading only halts for a 60-minute daily maintenance break, typically between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM Eastern Time.

Are futures markets open on holidays?

Futures markets operate on modified schedules during recognized exchange holidays. On major holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day, the daytime session is entirely closed, though electronic trading may resume later that evening. For other holidays, such as Memorial Day or Thanksgiving, the markets typically open but halt trading earlier than usual.

Why is the futures market closed?

The futures market regularly closes for the weekend, pausing from Friday evening until Sunday evening, and also shuts down for scheduled exchange holidays. During the standard trading week, markets close for a one-hour daily maintenance period, usually at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Occasionally, trading may be temporarily halted during regular hours if extreme price volatility triggers automatic circuit breakers.

Is the futures market open on Columbus Day?

Yes, the futures market generally remains open on Columbus Day, but operating hours depend on the specific product. Equity index and energy futures typically trade normally, while interest rate and foreign exchange products often close early. Because Columbus Day is a recognized bank holiday, certain financial settlement and margin processing activities are usually paused until the next business day.

Conclusion

Successfully trading the futures market requires far more than knowing when the opening bell rings on Sunday evening. Because holiday closures, daily maintenance halts, and abbreviated sessions vary significantly by asset class and exchange, you must proactively verify the specific schedule for your exact contracts. Overlooking these nuances can expose your portfolio to severe liquidity traps, unexpected gap risks, and forced margin liquidations during extended weekend breaks. By aligning your execution strategy with the precise 2026 calendar, you can confidently navigate irregular hours and protect your active positions across any market environment.