What is 'Juneteenth'? Are US stock markets open or closed on June 19? All you need to know

The US stock markets will remain closed on Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the country.

Trading on the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will be suspended for the day and resume on Friday, June 20. The US bond market will also be closed on June 19, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Juneteenth, a combination of the words "June" and "nineteenth", marks the date in 1865 when Union Army Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans that they were free.

That announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and a few months past the official end of the Civil War.

Called “America’s Second Independence Day,” Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021 by Biden. It has since become a paid day off for millions of Americans and is widely observed with cultural events, parades, community gatherings, and educational initiatives.

This will be the first Juneteenth under President Donald Trump’s second term.

The Trump administration has banned diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, including the removal of Black American history content from federal websites.

It remains unclear whether the President will take part in any commemorative events, and the White House has made no formal announcements regarding the holiday.

Texas was the first state to officially declare Juneteenth a holiday in 1980. As of 2025, at least 28 states and the District of Columbia have legally recognised it and grant state employees a paid day off. In states where the holiday is not recognised, government offices remain open.

While many observe the holiday with joy and reflection, it is also seen as a solemn day to honour the lives lost to slavery and the ongoing pursuit of racial justice.

Following the Juneteenth holiday, US financial markets will operate normally until their next scheduled closure on Friday, July 4, for Independence Day.

Juneteenth: Thursday, June 19

Independence Day: Friday, July 4

Labour Day: Monday, September 1

Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 27

Christmas: Thursday, December 25