2025-02-17
If you're an active trader or investor, knowing how many trading days in a year can help you plan strategies, portfolio rebalancing, and tax considerations.
While the average is around 252 trading days per year, the exact number varies year to year depending on weekends, holidays, and occasional special closures.
In 2025, U.S. markets are expected to have 250–251 trading days, varying with the number of half-day sessions. Let's analyse it step by step.
Historically, the U.S. stock market has 250–252 trading days per year.
Out of 365 calendar days:
~104 are weekends (52 weeks × 2 days)
9–11 are market holidays (depending on the year)
It leaves roughly 252 open market days.
Historical average (1990–2022): 252 trading days.
However, the number changes slightly each year, depending on when holidays fall (weekday vs weekend) or rare additional closures (such as during national mourning).
For 2025, sources vary slightly:
250 trading days, counting 10 holidays + one special closure. [1]
251 trading days, accounting for 52 weekends + 10 market holidays. [2]
The difference comes from how early closures are classified (e.g., Independence Day, Black Friday). While markets close early on these days, they are still considered "open" and therefore count as a trading day.
| Date | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 (Wed) | New Year’s Day | Closed |
| Jan 20 (Mon) | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Closed |
| Feb 17 (Mon) | Presidents’ Day | Closed |
| Apr 18 (Fri) | Good Friday | Closed |
| May 26 (Mon) | Memorial Day | Closed |
| Jun 19 (Thu) | Juneteenth National Independence Day | Closed |
| Jul 4 (Fri) | Independence Day | Closed |
| Sep 1 (Mon) | Labor Day | Closed |
| Nov 27 (Thu) | Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25 (Thu) | Christmas Day | Closed |
Half-Day Sessions (Markets Close at 1:00 p.m. ET):
Jul 3 (Thu): Before Independence Day
Nov 28 (Fri): Day after Thanksgiving
Dec 24 (Wed): Christmas Eve
These early closures still count as trading days.
While U.S. markets have ~250 trading days, global markets differ:
London Stock Exchange (LSE) → ~253 days, with UK-specific holidays like Boxing Day and Bank Holidays.
India (NSE/BSE) → Typically ~246–250 trading days. For instance, in 2025, NSE will remain open on Buddha Purnima (May 12) even though banks are closed.
Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) → ~247 trading days, with closures for Lunar New Year and other regional holidays.
Traders investing globally need to account for these differences, especially when managing international portfolios or ETFs.
In 2025, the U.S. is projected to have around 250–251 trading days, taking into account early closures.
Because holidays shift based on calendar alignment, and occasionally, there are one-off closures.
Yes. For example, markets close at 1 p.m. ET before Independence Day, but the day still counts as a trading day.
On average, the U.S. has 252 trading days per year. However, the actual number changes slightly. In 2025, expect 250–251 days, with 10 full holidays and 3 half-day sessions.
Globally, trading days vary, so investors with international exposure should track calendars for exchanges like the LSE, NSE, and HKEX.
Disclaimer: This material is for general information purposes only and is not intended as (and should not be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by EBC or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.
[1] https://www.swingtradesystems.com/trading-days-calendars.html
[2] https://toponetrader.com/blog/how-many-trading-days-in-a-year/
