U.S. stocks will trade on Monday, October 12, 2026, even though Columbus Day, also observed by many as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is a federal holiday. The split calendar matters because the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will keep their normal equity sessions while much of the U.S. bond market closes.

Key Insights

  • NYSE and Nasdaq cash equities are scheduled to trade during their regular 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern session on October 12.
  • SIFMA recommends a full close for U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income trading, including Treasurys, corporate bonds and municipal bonds.
  • Investors should expect normal stock trading but should check broker deadlines for bond orders, cash transfers and holiday-sensitive settlement activity.

Is the stock market open on Columbus Day 2026?

Yes. Columbus Day does not appear on either the NYSE’s 2026 list of market holidays or the Nasdaq 2026 holiday schedule, so both exchanges are scheduled to run their regular Monday sessions on October 12.

For the core cash market, regular trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Broker-operated premarket and after-hours access may also be available, but investors should confirm the exact window and order types with their platform.

The next scheduled U.S. equity-market closure after October 12 is Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26, according to the exchange calendars. Both calendars also show an early close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Friday, November 27.

Why the bond market will be closed

The fixed-income calendar is different. In a September 29 notice, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association confirmed a full market-close recommendation for October 12 covering U.S. dollar-denominated government securities, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds, municipal bonds and several money-market instruments.

SIFMA’s schedule is a recommendation rather than an exchange rule, so individual firms decide whether their fixed-income desks remain open. The broad industry convention nevertheless means Treasury and corporate-bond liquidity may be limited compared with a typical Monday.

The split also matters for investors following interest-rate policy and Treasury-market signals. Fusion Market News recently examined Judy Shelton’s Treasury and currency-policy views, an example of how fixed-income developments can shape expectations even when equity venues are open.

What investors should plan for

Stock orders can proceed on the normal schedule, but investors should avoid assuming every connected financial service follows the equity calendar. Bond execution, some bank processing and certain account transfers may follow holiday-specific timetables, so confirming cutoffs with a broker can prevent a missed deadline.

Company news can still move shares during the session, and earnings calendars remain active around holidays. Readers tracking event-driven stocks can review the recent Delta earnings preview and Fusion’s coverage of Moderna’s Nasdaq-100 entry for examples of catalysts that can override a quiet macro calendar.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: the stock market is open on Columbus Day 2026, but the bond market is not operating on its usual schedule. Investors who trade across asset classes should treat October 12 as a split-market day rather than a standard Monday.

Featured image: New York Stock Exchange building. Photo by Maxim Klimashin via Unsplash.

Elsy Kanana is a financial and cryptocurrency journalist at FusionMarketNews, covering digital assets, blockchain technology, financial markets, and emerging fintech trends. Her reporting focuses on market movements, regulatory developments, and on-chain analytics, delivering clear, data-driven insights to readers worldwide.