Is the Stock Market Open Today? Here are the Trading Hours for Black Friday.

Black Friday is an unofficial holiday in the U.S. that falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving each year. (Yuki Iwamura / Bloomberg)

Black Friday—the nickname for the day after Thanksgiving—may be an unofficial holiday, but it has earned the reputation of being one of the liveliest shopping days of the year.

This holiday shopping season is already shaping up to be a busy one. Adobe Analytics expects U.S. online sales to hit $253.4 billion in the period from Nov. 1 through the end of the year, marking a 5.3% jump from the same period in 2024.

The National Retail Federation, a trade association that tracks consumer spending trends, forecasts retail sales in November and December to grow between 3.7% and 4.2% year-over-year.

But what does this mean for the markets? Here’s what investors should know about trading hours on Friday.

Is the Stock Market Open or Closed on Black Friday?

Markets are technically open Friday, but there’s a catch: The New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market, and over-the-counter markets will open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Friday, but will close early at 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, bond markets will open at 8 a.m. Eastern on Friday and shutter at 2 p.m.

Are International Markets Open on Black Friday?

Foreign stock exchanges will be open Friday, including the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and the London Stock Exchange.

Are Banks and Post Offices Open Today?

Banks, the U.S. Postal Service, and UPS will be open Friday.

Most FedEx services will be available, too, with the exception of FedEx Freight, a service tailored to items that are too hefty for standard parcel services.

How Has the Stock Market Performed Around Black Friday?

The S&P 500 has historically risen over the stretch that kicks off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and ends one week after Black Friday.

Last year, the benchmark index gained 1.5% during this period, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The S&P 500 rose by 0.8% during this window in 2023 and by 1.1% in 2022—rebounding on the heels of a pandemic that caused it to fall 3.5% in 2021.

What Else Should I Know About Black Friday?

The shopping bonanza originated in the U.S. and spread globally. The occasion purportedly gets its name from the mid-twentieth century, when tourists flocked to Philadelphia in advance of the annual Army-Navy college football game.

The term quickly spread beyond the ranks of the police officers who coined it, with “Black Friday” entering the lexicon in the early 1960s. While this was likely the origin of the term as we know it, the term was also used to describe the U.S. gold market crash in September 1869.

Black Friday spawned the creation of other sales events, such as Cyber Monday, when online retailers slash prices each Monday after Thanksgiving in a bid to attract customers.

While Black Friday sales are expected to increase 8.3% from 2024 to $11.7 billion this year, Cyber Monday should remain the biggest online shopping day of the season, according to Adobe Analytics. The digital event is expected to generate $14.2 billion in sales this year.

Write to Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com