The U.S. stock market closes early on Black Friday

By Charles Passy

Thanksgiving week comes with plenty of holiday-adjusted business hours, including, of course on Wall Street - so here's what you need to know

The stock market will be open today - although Black Friday will see markets closing early.

Happy Black Friday!

Yes, it's the day after turkey day, otherwise known as one of the biggest retail days on the calendar. The term appears to date back to the '50s, but the big sales events didn't start in earnest until the '90s. For a while, Black Friday effectively began on Thanksgiving itself, with some stores opening before many families had even cleared the table.

Black Friday is also a day that sees many holiday-type closures. Here's a breakdown of what to expect this year.

Stock and bond markets

Stock and bond markets will stop trading early on Black Friday. The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq exchange will call time on equity-market trading SPX COMP DJIA at 1 p.m. Eastern, while bond markets BX:TMUBMUSD10Y will remain open until 2 p.m. Eastern.

Mail and packages

FedEx (FDX) will have modified service on Black Friday, while UPS (UPS) says delivery and pickup services will be available.

Banks

Banks will be open on Black Friday, according to GoBankingRates, although some branches could limit their hours.

Government offices

Black Friday is not a federal holiday, which means federal offices should be open. But it is a state holiday in more than 20 states, according to the OfficeHolidays website, so that could affect state offices.

Schools

Most schools are closed on Black Friday, as well, but it's best to check with your local district to be sure.

Stores

Black Friday, of course, is a big shopping day, with some stores opening as early as 5 a.m. Check with individual stores to find exact hours.

While many stores had started opening on Thanksgiving years ago as a way to pull Black Friday sales forward, that trend appears to be reversing. Most major retailers, among them Costco (COST), Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) were closed on Thanksgiving. The exceptions: Some grocery chains, dollar stores and pharmacies were open, but with adjusted hours (think stores like CVS (CVS) and Whole Foods (AMZN)).

-Charles Passy

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11-28-25 1009ET