Black Friday: Is the US Stock Market Open Today on November 28?

Black Friday usually brings a mix of heavy shopping activity in the US and a lighter trading day on Wall Street. Since it comes right after the Thanksgiving holiday, many investors in India look up “is the stock market open today” or “is stock market open tomorrow” before planning their trades. This update gives a clear picture of the trading schedule in US Stocks on 28 November, explained entirely in IST for easy reference.

Is the US Market Open Today?

Yes. The US stock market is open today (November 28), but only for a short session. NYSE and Nasdaq run with limited hours on Black Friday every year. For people the invest in US Stocks from India, the normal trading window today is:

8:00 PM IST to 11:30 PM IST

This schedule comes directly from the exchanges’ annual holiday calendars. With a 3.5-hour window, the day is more of a light check-in for most traders rather than a full session.

Why Do Markets Close Early on Black Friday?

The shortened session has become a long-standing market habit. Most institutional desks operate with smaller teams during Thanksgiving week. Trading activity drops sharply, and exchanges prefer to keep the day short to maintain smooth order flow. Over the past few years, volumes on Black Friday have typically been lower compared to normal weekdays, based on publicly available NYSE trading data.

Thanksgiving Week Market Hours in IST

Here is the full schedule for the week, converted entirely into IST:

After-hours and pre-market trades continue, but with even lighter volumes.

How This Affects Investors in India

With the session ending at 11:30 PM IST, the usual late-night window disappears. Traders who rely heavily on intraday momentum or quick reactions to news events will find fewer opportunities.

For long-term investors, the day usually works as a temperature check on how retail and consumer-focused stocks are behaving, especially with early shopping numbers coming in from US retailers.

What Kind of Market Moves to Expect

Black Friday usually remains calm. Activity slows down partly because many US analysts, funds and trading desks are on reduced staffing. Still, a few pockets see noticeable interest:

• Retail and e-commerce stocks often see movement tied to early holiday-shopping updates
• Payments and consumer-tech names sometimes respond to transaction volume trends
• Travel-linked stocks can reflect Thanksgiving travel data

These moves tend to be modest because overall liquidity remains thin.

Bond Market Hours in IST

US bond markets also shut early. Based on SIFMA’s recommended holiday schedule, the fixed-income session runs roughly from:

8:00 PM IST to 12:30 AM IST

This applies to Treasuries, municipal bonds and corporate bonds. Wider spreads and lower depth are common during holiday weeks.

Key Things Investors Should Keep in Mind

So, for anyone searching is the stock market open today, here are the main points:

• The US market is open today but closes early
• Indian investors get a 3.5-hour window from 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM IST
• Trading volumes are lighter than usual
• Retail, payments and travel stocks may see sentiment-driven movement
• Regular IST timings resume on Monday

Macro numbers released earlier in the week can still set the tone, so it helps to track updates like consumer sentiment reports or jobless claims.

Final Takeaway from Black Friday Market Hours

Black Friday tends to be a low-intensity trading day. The shortened 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM IST window helps the market wrap up activity before the holiday weekend continues in the US. For investors in India, it mainly serves as a quick session to watch sector trends and prepare for the return of full-length trading on Monday.

Disclaimer:

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