Is the stock market open on Christmas? The answer to this question is: no. The UK stock market will be closed on Wednesday, 25 December for Christmas.
Typically, the UK stock market opening times are 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday with a small break between 12pm and 12.02pm. Public holidays and major events can affect trading times, which was the case with the Bank Holiday Monday in August.
Investors holding top funds will be hoping for a Santa Rally this holiday season, thanks to the boom in AI stocks, Bitcoin and gold, as well as a great run for the S&P 500 and FTSE 100. Trump’s 2024 US election win also saw many investors pump money into US stocks like Tesla, Nvidia, Trump Media and Microsoft.
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Below, we look at the UK stock market opening times during the Christmas period, and how it will impact trading on those days.
Is the stock market open on Christmas?
No. The UK stock market will be closed on Christmas, which falls on Wednesday – 25 December 2024.
This is one of the eight standard holidays observed by the stock exchange throughout the year, like the spring and early May bank holidays, Good Friday and Boxing Day.
The stock market is also shut on Thursday, 26 December for Boxing Day. However, that’s not the case on Christmas Eve – the London Stock Exchange (LSE) will instead observe a half-day and close from 12:30pm.
The LSE only follows English bank holidays – not Scottish, Northern Irish or Welsh holidays. For example, the LSE is open on 2 December, which is St Andrew’s Day in Scotland and therefore a bank holiday in that part of the UK.
Investors can spend the holidays with their families and friends, or focus on their tax returns. Recently, HMRC announced an interest rate hike on late tax payments, meaning that coming next April, taxpayers will face a penalty of 8.75% on late payments. So it’s worth making sure you don’t fall on the taxman’s naughty list.
When is the UK stock market closed in 2024?
Here’s a breakdown of all the UK stock market holidays in the coming month, so you can plan your trading activity accordingly.
| Date | Bank holiday | On Exchange Trading Services | OTC/SI Off-book trade reporting only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 24 December 2024 | Christmas holiday half-day | Markets closing process commences from 12.30 London time. Standard settlement day. | Available as normal |
| Wednesday 25 December 2024 | Christmas Day | NON-trading day | Not available |
| Thursday 26 December 2024 | Boxing Day | NON-trading day | Available as normal |
| Tuesday 31 December 2024 | New Year holiday half-day | Markets closing process commences from 12.30 London time. Standard settlement day. | Available as normal |
Source: London Stock Exchange