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Good Friday may come as a bit of sweet relief for investors.
The stock market has taken a hit this year. Stocks slipped this week, too: The
Dow Jones Industrial Average
dropped 0.8%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.1% and 2.6%, respectively.
Bond yields, however, ripped higher this week, denting the stock market. The 10-year Treasury bond’s yield rose—as its price fell—to 2.83% at Thursday’s close, a new pandemic-era high.
Here’s what investors looking to trade ahead of Easter Sunday—as well as Passover, which begins at sundown Friday—should know.
Is the Stock Market Open on Good Friday 2022?
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will be closed on April 15 in observance of Good Friday, as will U.S. over-the-counter markets. The U.S. bond market closed early on Thursday at 2 p.m. Eastern and will remain shut.
Will International Stock Markets Be Open on Good Friday 2022?
The London Stock Exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will all be closed on Good Friday. The Euronext Paris Exchange won’t be open, either.
However, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange will be open regular hours.
How Has the Stock Market Performed Around Good Friday?
From 2011 to 2021, the stock market usually climbed the trading day before Good Friday—and dropped the day after.
Dow Jones Market Data shows that during this span, the
S&P 500
gained an average of 0.4% the day before the occasion and dipped an average of 0.1% the day following. The
Dow Jones Industrial Average
and the
Nasdaq Composite
each averaged similar small gains and losses the day before and after Good Friday, too.
Is the Stock Market Open on Easter Monday 2022?
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will resume normal hours on Monday, April 18, and open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, with premarket trading starting at 6:00 a.m. U.S. bond and over-the-counter markets will be open regular hours.
Overseas, the Hong Kong, London, and Frankfurt stock exchanges will be closed on Easter Monday, as will the Euronext Paris Exchange.
What’s Been Driving the Stock Market Lower?
The Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite are down 5.2%, 7.8%, and 14.7% so far this year, respectively.
Markets are concerned about several issues, including the Federal Reserve, which is tightening monetary policy. That means the central bank is lifting short-term interest rates in order to try and combat high inflation, in hopes that doing so will curb economic demand.
Investors are also waiting to see when the Fed will reduce its bond holdings. Less money moving into bonds lowers their prices and lifts their yields—which can cause stock valuations to decline.
The Russia-Ukraine war isn’t helping anything. The conflict is only adding to inflation, with markets anticipating restrictions on Russian oil and other commodities—sending prices of those goods higher.
Write to Jacob Sonenshine at jacob.sonenshine@barrons.com