By Nate Wolf
February has been a turbulent month on Wall Street.
First came a mass exodus out of software stocks and into other sectors, among them energy and consumer staples, as traders fretted about the potential disruptive impacts of artificial intelligence. Then came a sharp recovery that saw the S&P 500 linger just below the 7,000 mark it crossed at the end of January.
Investors will get a reprieve from all the market whiplash on Presidents Day -- at least in the U.S.
Is the Stock Market Open or Closed on Presidents Day?
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of the federal holiday.
Bond markets and over-the-counter markets, where trades aren't conducted over a centralized exchange, will also be closed.
What About International Markets?
Foreign exchanges will be open on Monday. Trading will continue as usual at the London Stock Exchange, the Euronext Paris, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and elsewhere.
Will Banks and Post Offices Be Open?
The U.S. Postal Service will suspend operations and Federal Reserve banks and branches will be closed on Presidents Day.
Banks typically follow the Federal Reserve schedule, so most physical bank branches will be closed, though ATMs and digital banking services will be available. Customers should check with their local branches.
What About Private Carriers?
FedEx will offer modified service on Monday, with early on-call pickups and drop box pickups in some areas. FedEx's freight, office, critical shipments, and logistics services will be fully operational.
UPS will operate as usual with normal pickup times and delivery services.
What Should I Know About Presidents Day?
Presidents Day isn't even officially called Presidents Day: It is designated by U.S. law as Washington's Birthday and was created in 1885 to honor President George Washington.
The other catch? Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732, not Feb. 16. The 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act mandated that the federal government celebrate Presidents Day on the third Monday in February each year. In fact, that mandate makes it impossible for the holiday to ever fall on Washington's actual birthday.
President Abraham Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809. Several states observe the third Monday in February as a celebration of both Lincoln and Washington.
Write to Nate Wolf at nate.wolf@barrons.com
This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
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February 16, 2026 00:01 ET (05:01 GMT)
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