If you are someone investing in U.S. stocks, there’s something you absolutely need to know. That is the U.S. stock market holidays and trading hours, because not knowing this properly can mess up your trading plans.

I was confused at first too. The time difference between the U.S. and Korea is large, and daylight saving time causes trading hours to keep changing. But once I organized it, it became much easier.

The main U.S. exchanges are NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX, and all three have the same trading hours. Regular trading hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which is from 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Korean time. During daylight saving time (from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November), the hours are moved forward by one hour, making it from 10:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

In addition, there are pre-market (4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Korean time 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.) and after-hours trading (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Korean time 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. the next day), but these are more volatile and less liquid than regular hours, so beginners should avoid them.

What’s important is the U.S. stock market holidays, and I’ve summarized them for 2026. Starting from New Year’s Day on January 1, the holidays include Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, Presidents’ Day on February 16, Good Friday on April 3, Memorial Day on May 25, Juneteenth on June 19, Independence Day on July 3, Labor Day on September 7, Thanksgiving on November 26, and Christmas on December 25 — a total of 10 market holidays.

Besides holidays, there are days with early closures. On July 2, the day before Independence Day; November 27, the day after Thanksgiving; and December 24, Christmas Eve, the market closes early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. That means it closes at 2:00 a.m. Korean time the next day.

Another difference when trading is that the U.S. does not have price limit bands like Korea. In Korea, trading automatically stops if the price moves more than 30% up or down from the previous day’s closing price, but in the U.S., there are no such restrictions. Since trading often happens at night Korean time, it can be hard to respond quickly to sharp drops. So, when investing in U.S. stocks, you should manage your positions more carefully, considering these characteristics.

Also, remember that settlement is T+2, meaning it completes two business days after the trade date. Korea also uses T+2, but if there are market holidays in between, settlement can be delayed further.

Ultimately, what’s important is to accurately understand the U.S. stock market holidays and trading hours, and to plan your trades according to your time zone. Always check the official exchange websites for the latest information, and especially at the beginning of the year, it’s helpful to check the holiday schedule in advance. Don’t you think you can now invest in U.S. stocks with more confidence?