Presidents Day Holiday: US Stock Markets, Nasdaq, NYSE Closed on February 17

US stock markets will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2025, for Presidents Day, a holiday that marks the birth anniversary of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association has announced that trading on the Nasdaq, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and US bond markets will all remain closed in observance of this federal holiday.

This closure comes after the weekend holidays, with many businesses, schools, banks, and government offices also taking the day off. The US Postal Service will also be closed on Presidents Day. According to the holiday calendar, the next major stock market holiday will be on April 18, 2025, in observance of Good Friday, followed by Memorial Day later in the year.

Presidents Day, officially known as Washington's Birthday, falls on the third Monday of February each year. The holiday was originally created to honor George Washington's birthday, which is on February 22. However, it is now often viewed as a day to celebrate all US presidents, though it still officially honors Washington. In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Law moved the holiday to the third Monday in February, making it part of a long weekend for many Americans.

Although Presidents Day is not a day when stock markets are open, many people in the US still observe the holiday by taking time off from work or school. Some businesses, especially shops, grocery stores, and restaurants, remain open, but federal offices and many public institutions, like schools and libraries, are closed for the day.

Wall Street stock prices had a mixed ending on the Friday before Presidents Day. Nvidia, a major tech company, saw a rise in its stock price, while Microsoft experienced a small dip. The overall market was impacted by US President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariff plans, though he did not impose any new tariffs at this time. In addition, Treasury yields, which are the returns on US government bonds, declined after it was reported that US retail sales had dropped by 0.9% in January. This was a larger decline than expected, following a 0.7% increase in December 2024.

The Nasdaq 100, which tracks the top 100 companies on the Nasdaq stock exchange, rose by 0.4%, hitting a new record high. Nvidia led the way with a 2.6% increase in its stock price, while Apple saw a 1.3% gain. Microsoft, however, dropped by 0.5%, and Amazon's stock fell by 0.7%.

The S&P 500, another major stock index, finished the day slightly down by 0.01%, ending at 6,114.63 points. The Nasdaq, however, closed up by 0.41%, reaching 20,026.77 points. On the other hand, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which tracks 30 large companies, declined by 0.37%, closing at 44,546.08 points.

For the week, the S&P 500 saw a 1.5% increase, the Nasdaq rose by 2.6%, and the Dow Jones gained 0.5%. While Presidents Day brings a pause to stock market trading, the market’s performance over the past week suggests steady growth, even as challenges like retail sales declines and trade uncertainties loom.