Plan your targets, payouts, and evaluations around the real market calendar. Built for futures and prop-firm traders.
U.S. stock markets are open about 250 to 252 trading days per year. Weekends and exchange holidays remove the rest. If you trade futures or use prop-firm evaluations, this count affects profit targets, consistency rules, and payout timing.
Trading Day Basics
- Trading day: Official U.S. exchange session (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET), Monday to Friday.
- Closed: Weekends and listed exchange holidays.
- Early close: Shortened sessions may affect liquidity. Most traders still count these as trading days.
Trading Days By Year
| Year | Estimated U.S. Trading Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ~250 | Standard holiday set. Early closes near July 4 and Thanksgiving reduce full-session time. |
| 2026 | ~251 | Calendar alignment increases the total slightly versus 2025. |
| 2027 | ~252 | Typical pattern. Confirm product-specific futures hours near holidays. |
Tip: Treat early-close days as lower-liquidity sessions in your playbook. Consider smaller size or fewer trades.
Why This Matters To Futures And Prop-Firm Traders
- Evaluation pacing: Profit targets and minimum days are based on trading days, not calendar days.
- Daily average goals: 250 vs 252 days changes the per-day average for the same annual goal.
- Strategy fit: Holiday weeks can distort range, volume, and fills. Adjust expectations.
- Rule alignment: If your firm requires X trading days before payout, plan around closures.
Use The Calendar To Plan Your Year
- Create a yearly sheet, mark weekends and listed holidays.
- Flag early-closes. Decide if you reduce risk or skip.
- Set monthly goals based on expected active days.
- Pre-schedule review weeks around holiday lulls.
- Match your rules: verify minimum days, payout cadence, and consistency thresholds.
Prop-Firm Angle: Turn Time Into An Edge
Prop-firm rules can help your psychology. Use structure instead of impulse.
- Daily Loss Limits: Hard stop for the session. Prevents spiral days and protects psychological capital.
- EOD trailing drawdown: Encourages clean executions and planned exits.
- Minimum trading days: Builds routine. Avoids one-trade heroics.
Explore our guides for sharper execution:
End-of-Day Drawdown,
Consistency Rule Calculator,
Trading Psychology Hub.
Trade With A Plan, Not Hope
Compare futures prop-firm rules, payouts, and platforms. Find the best fit for your temperament.
U.S. Market Holiday Cheat Sheet
Use this to plan evaluations, minimum days, and payout timing. Early close sessions often have thinner liquidity.
| Holiday | Typical Observance | Session Impact |
|---|---|---|
| New Yearβs Day | January 1 | Closed |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 3rd Monday in January | Closed |
| Presidents Day | 3rd Monday in February | Closed |
| Good Friday | Friday before Easter | Closed |
| Memorial Day | Last Monday in May | Closed |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Closed |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Closed or Early Close (if on weekday) |
| Labor Day | 1st Monday in September | Closed |
| Thanksgiving Day | 4th Thursday in November | Closed, Early Close on Friday |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Closed or Early Close (Christmas Eve) |
Futures have different holiday sessions. Confirm CME Globex hours for products like GC, ES, NQ before planning trades.
