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After a first half of the year filled with epoch-making events, investors will get a much-needed break Friday as most U.S. markets will be closed to observe July 4th.
After March’s major selloff, stocks have recovered some of their earlier losses. The
S&P 500
index and the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
are down 3.1% and 9.5% so far this year, respectively. The tech-heavy
Nasdaq Composite
index stands out, having closed at an all-time high Thursday, with a year-to-date gain of 13.8%.
That’s largely thanks to the stock market’s strong second quarter performance, which ended earlier this week. The Dow had its best quarter since 1987 with a 17.7% gain, while the S&P 500 finished up 20% in the quarter, its best performance since 1998.
Meanwhile, many states are seeing an alarming surge in coronavirus infections and halting reopening plans as a result.
The last time U.S. exchanges closed for a holiday was more than a month ago for Memorial Day. Now the 244th Independence Day falls on Saturday, making Friday, July 3, 2020, a federal holiday.
Some traders may have already been on vacation enjoying fireworks of their own. The average daily trading volume on the NYSE this week was 4.51 billion, down 18% from 5.53 billion year-to-date average until last week.
Is the Stock Market Open on July 4th 2020?
The NYSE and Nasdaq are closed today in observance of Independence Day 2020. Some futures and options exchanges on CME Globex, including equity futures and commodities like crude oil and gold, will close early at 1 p.m. Eastern, and agricultural commodities are closed for trading.
The Securities Industry and Markets Association also recommends that markets for government bonds and other fixed-income securities close for the day.
Are International Stock Markets Closed on Independence Day?
Because July 4 celebrates the day the U.S. declared independence from Great Britain, it’s really only observed in the U.S. The
London Stock Exchange
and others in Europe are open today. Markets in Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and Singapore are also open.
Email: editors@barrons.com
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Read More: Is the Stock Market Closed Today? Here Are the Hours for the July 4th
