Is the Stock Market Open on Christmas Day 2026? ASX Hours
December 25
Is the Stock Market Open on Christmas Day 2026? ASX Hours
Australian Securities Exchange are closed on Friday, for Christmas Day.
- Next holiday
- Boxing Day
- Regular hours
- 10:00 am to 4:00 pm AEST/AEDT
Full schedule and background: ASX Holidays.
Updated
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is closed on Friday, December 25, 2026 for Christmas Day. No cash equities, options or ASX 24 futures trading takes place, and no orders placed that day will be executed or matched until the exchange reopens. Because Boxing Day (December 26) falls on a Saturday in 2026, the substitute public holiday is observed on Monday, December 28, 2026, so the ASX stays closed for two consecutive trading days. Full 2026 dates and background are on the ASX Holidays calendar.
Any buy or sell orders entered on December 25 sit in the queue and are processed once trading resumes on Tuesday, December 29, 2026, the next open session after the Boxing Day substitute holiday.
Which markets are closed on Christmas Day 2026?
| Market | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ASX equities (cash market) | Closed | No trading or settlement |
| ASX 24 (futures and options) | Closed | Follows the cash market holiday calendar |
| ASX options | Closed | No exercise or expiry processing |
| New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq | Closed | Both close for Christmas Day |
| London Stock Exchange (LSE) | Closed | UK market holiday |
| Euronext | Closed | Paris, Amsterdam and other Euronext venues close |
| Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) | Open (regular hours) | Japan does not observe Christmas as a market holiday |
Is the market open the day before and after?
The trading session on Thursday, December 24, 2026 is expected to have a shortened session, with ASX typically bringing forward the closing single price auction to around 2:10 pm AEDT on the days either side of Christmas and New Year, according to an ASX Trade notice on holiday-period trading hours. The exchange then closes fully on Friday, December 25 and Monday, December 28 (the Boxing Day substitute holiday), with the next full trading day on Tuesday, December 29, 2026 running to the usual 10:00 am to 4:00 pm close described in the brief.
Why do markets close for Christmas Day?
Christmas Day is one of the oldest and most widely observed public holidays across financial markets worldwide, reflecting its status as a statutory holiday in Australia and most Western economies. Exchanges close so that staff, brokers and clearing houses can observe the holiday alongside the rest of the workforce, and because global liquidity thins sharply as US, UK and European venues close at the same time, leaving little reason to keep local order books open.
What It Means for Your Money
If you hold Australian shares through a broker or superannuation fund, nothing changes in value while the market is shut, prices simply freeze until trading reopens on December 29. Any pending trade settles on the normal T+1 cycle once the market reopens, so a trade placed just before the holiday may settle a day or two later than usual. Dividend record dates and options expiries scheduled near Christmas are typically shifted to the nearest trading day by the exchange, so check the specific stock or contract if you are relying on a particular date. Bank transfers and payroll processing can also be slower around the holiday period because banks observe the same public holidays. Cryptocurrency markets are the exception: they trade 24/7, including on Christmas Day, unaffected by exchange closures.
Remaining ASX holidays in 2026
- Boxing Day (Substitute), Monday, December 28, 2026: closed
- New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2026: early close (around 2:10 pm AEDT)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the stock market open on Christmas Day 2026?
No, the ASX is closed on Friday, December 25, 2026 for the Christmas Day public holiday.
Is the bond market open on Christmas Day?
Australian bond and money markets follow the same public holiday schedule as the ASX and are closed on December 25, 2026.
What time does the ASX close before Christmas?
ASX historically brings the closing auction forward to around 2:10 pm AEDT on the trading day before Christmas, based on past holiday-period trading notices from the exchange.
When is the next ASX market holiday after Christmas?
The next closure is Boxing Day (observed as a substitute holiday), which falls on Monday, December 28, 2026 because the actual Boxing Day date lands on a Saturday.
Are Australian banks open on Christmas Day?
No, Australian banks are closed on December 25, 2026 along with the stock exchange, as Christmas Day is a nationwide public holiday.