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Is the Stock Market Open on Good Friday and Easter?

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is the stock market open on good friday
Anyone active in the stock market knows how important it is to know when the stock market opens and closes. If you think the market is closed when it is actually open, missing a day when the stock market is active could make a huge difference in your investment portfolio. When a holiday like Easter rolls around, it can get confusing. Although Easter is not a federal holiday, many people celebrate the holiday, which means a lot of establishments choose to close. Since it has its own schedule, you might wonder if the stock market is open on Good Friday, Easter, or both.

Is the Stock Market Open on Good Friday and Easter?

 

The “stock market” often refers to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ. Usually, it observes most federal holidays (like banks) and a few holidays that are not federal. However, there are some federal holidays it does not observe and some non-federal holidays, like Easter, that it does. The bond market (SIMFA) doesn’t follow the same schedule. So, if you are a trader or have money on the market, you may be wondering if it will be open on Good Friday, April 19 or Sunday, April 21 (Easter) this year.

Is the New York Stock Exchange Open on Good Friday?

The stock market is not open on Good Friday in observance of the Easter holiday. It is also closed on Easter — the stock market is generally closed on Sundays, so it isn’t a change from the normal schedule. There will be no selling or trading on Friday, April 19. You can, however, buy, sell, and trade on Thursday, April 18 and the market will reopen for regular hours on Monday, April 22.

Is NASDAQ Open on Good Friday?

NASDAQ will not be open on Friday, April 19. Because the NYSE and the NASDAQ run on the same holiday schedule, the NASDAQ will also be closed on Good Friday just like the NYSE. However, just like the NYSE, you will be able to access services on Thursday, April 18 and Easter Monday.

Will the Bond Market Be Open on Good Friday?

The bond market will be closed on Good Friday. The bond market, also known as the SIMFA, will be closed on Good Friday, April 19. If you have any business to tend to with bonds, you’ll need to take care of it Thursday or make sure it can wait until Monday.

The stock market (NYSE and NASDAQ) close in observance of the following federal holidays:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Washington’s Birthday
  • Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day

The stock market also closes early the day before Independence Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. It is also important to note that the NASDAQ follows the same schedule as the New York Stock Exchange. The closing times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).

If you are an active trader or have holdings in the NASDAQ, NYSE, or bond market, you should become aware of what days these markets are open and closed. Often, the stock market does not always follow a federal holiday schedule, the market’s schedule is slightly altered.

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Photo: Flickr: Rob Ireton

Pinterest IPO: Is The Social Site Worth $12 Billion?

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Pinterest IPO

Pinterest will debut on the public market this spring and is seeking a valuation of $9 billion. When it goes live, investors will be able to buy shares for $15 to $17 a pop. Here’s what you need to know about Pinterest IPO (PINS) and whether or not you should consider investing.

About Pinterest IPO

As mentioned above, Pinterest is currently seeking a valuation of $9 billion. The company’s valuation was said to be $12 billion when it completed its last round of funding a little more than two years ago.

There will be 75 million Class A shares sold at $15 to $17 per share on the New York Stock Exchange. Pinterest plans to use a dual-class structure that will allow major stakeholders voting power within the company (Class B). This will include co-founders Benjamin Silbermann and Evan Sharp. Other major shareholders include Andreessen Horowitz and FirstMark.

The Year of IPOs

Just last week, Lyft IPO debuted on the public market. Pinterest is joining a large wave of highly-anticipated tech-based IPOs to hit the NYSE this year. Uber and Slack are two more big names expected to debut on the market as well.

Should You Invest?

IPOs can be iffy when it comes to returns. If you’re considering investing in the Pinterest IPO, talk to a financial advisor and get a feel for your risk tolerance. See if there is a better way to invest your money before you throw it into a new company on the market.

You may also consider Warren Buffett’s advice when it comes to IPO investments. The seasoned investor recommends staying away from IPOs altogether. Buffett compares investing in IPOs with playing the lottery. Sure, people win sometimes but they are more likely to lose. But, as with most things, the same strategy won’t work for everyone.

Readers, are you interested in seeing how the Pinterest IPO performs? 

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Best US Stocks To Invest in 2019

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US stocks had its peak reportedly gaining double digit growth in early 2018 till September. However, the trend took a steep shift by falling in to the bear market territory at the latter part of 2018 with the economy slowing down yet keeping the upward trend. This was slightly corrected by skeptical investors hoping for a positive USA – China Trade Deal which is still to hope for.

Conversely much the volatility possesses in the US Stock market, there is elevated opportunities rising in Wall Street which had being under close watch of International Stock Brokers aiming to grasp the bargain stocks at highly competitive prices. Modern day advancements of E-Commerce Trading Platforms have evolved traditional investor thinking patterns to broader globally conversed offshore trading. This is being facilitated through offshore trading training support rendered by renowned International stock brokers worldwide. A growing demand is notable to learn offshore trading by keen Investors as local economies of countries are plunging down or saturated while Investors turning table to broaden their Investment scope through Investing in overseas stocks, especially in countries like United States where Economies and Production are increasing at a sustainable rate.

A particular interest is seen from overseas stock trading activates to fundamentally growth stocks. Bank of America recently named top 5 Stocks to buy for in United States stock market.

1)            American Airlines Group (AAL)

The demand for International Transportation is ever increasing had resulted in American Airlines Revenue per Available Seat Mile (RASK) at a healthy level. Thus the Global Crude oil price falling to 52 USD had in fact affected positively to P & L of AAL. A flow of positive cash inflows can be expected in coming quarters thus Investor confidence is too on a rise. Many International Stock Brokers have issued “Buy” Signals following the enhanced performance by AAL.

2)            Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)

As the famous saying goes “There’s one in every corner”, Starbucks is under rapid growth especially beyond US shores. Their strategy had emphasized much on Asia Pacific Region. The recent rapid expansion of more than 250 stores would increase Starbucks market presence thus would support the bottom-line with much additional cash inflow. As suggested by analysts, Starbucks remains as one of the top picks in 2019.

3)            Facebook (FB)

One can argue that Social Media is becoming saturated but not for the US giant FB. Constant innovation with 2.2 Billion Users across globe and vertically innovating Geo Centric and Target market centric advertising tools keeps FB floating with strong cash inflows. Many International Investors are still bullish on FB’s potential entry in to online dating which would harness more revenue.

4)            Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson being the leader in consumer goods category is unarguably the strongest in most of the categories. Their capitalization in Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Goods and Medical Services together gives immense strength through synergy while making the firm an absolute cash flow. It has being flagged as a Blue Chip stock over years and years and performance has always up to par. It still remains as the best stock to buy in 2019 and would be one of the most attractive to International Stock buyers considering its vast diversification across globe.

5)            Apple (AAPL)

Apple still remains unbeatable in its innovation and as the industry leader of being sophisticated in their product designs. Apple had successfully ventured in to generating ancillary revenue through related services through related diversification creating additional revenue streams through offerings such as ITunes, Appstore, and ICloud which have supported Apple bottom line exceeding expectations.

6)            Oneok (OKE)

According to Forbes, Oneok is a well differentiated energy company and one of the major midstream service providers in the U.S. The Company holds and functions a leading natural gas liquids (NGLs) system and is a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas. According to Forbes OKE’s operations include a 38,000-mile integrated network of NGL and natural gas pipelines, processing plants, fractionators and storage facilities in the Mid-Continent, Williston, Permian and Rocky Mountain regions.

Warren Buffett Isn’t Buying Lyft IPO Stock, Should You?

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Lyft IPO

The ride-sharing service Lyft went public on Friday. At the end of the day, the company saw 9 percent growth. However, financial tycoon Warren Buffett won’t be investing in Lyft IPO. Here’s why.

Lyft Goes Public

Logan Green and John Zimmer, co-founders of Lyft, celebrated the company’s IPO on Friday. Lyft went public at $72 per share and reached $87.24 a share at its peak Friday. The stock closed the day at $78.29 per share.

Thursday evening, Lyft raised about $2.3 billion before its debut on the NASDAQ. The Lyft IPO had an initial market cap of $24 billion (up exponentially from its previous valuation of $15.1 billion). The co-founders opted to host the IPO in Los Angeles, which happens to be the company’s largest market.

“We want to make a point that you can both invest in communities and build a great business,” Zimmer said. “It was fun to ring the bell with several members of our driver community and have many of them participate in our IPO because we gave them a bonus to do so.”

Lyft’s co-founders discussed the company’s long-term prospects on Friday. Green and Zimmer are looking forward to autonomous cars, international growth, insurance, and even changing the future of car ownership.

“We are confident that the business will be very profitable,” Green stated. “We are making tremendous progress going after this once-in-a-generation shift where this entire industry, a $1.2 trillion market, could flip from an ownership model to a service model and we are leading the way there.” But, should you consider investing?

Why Warren Buffett Won’t Be Investing in Lyft IPO

When it comes to where you put your money in the stock market, many people look to Warren Buffett for advice. After all, he is one of the most successful investors of all time. However, when it comes to Lyft IPO, Buffett is a hard pass.

In fact, Buffett hasn’t invested in an IPO in 64 years. The only time he did was in 1955.  “A gasoline dealer was running it and as a favor gave me 100 shares. And I have to admit it now, I think the statute of limitations has expired, I took a free ride on 100 shares and made $500 and that’s the only time I’ve ever done that,” Buffett said.

Buffett also doesn’t see the value in investing in Lyft itself. “I certainly wouldn’t buy a business for $25 billion,” Buffett stated. “So I look at what I’m getting as a part owner of a business, and I don’t know why, with all the things you can buy for $25 billion in this world, that you would pick a business that really has to be earning $2.5 or $3 billion pre-tax in five years to even be on the same radar screen as things you can buy right now.”

Should You Invest in an IPO?

This year has already proven to be an exciting one where IPOs are concerned. However, Buffett warns against putting any money into them. “I think buying new offerings during hot periods in the market, I don’t think it’s anything that the average person should think about at all,” he said.

If you have FOMO (fear of missing out), keep in mind this sage advice from the seasoned investor. “You can go around making dumb bets and win. It’s not something you want to take as a lifetime policy, though.”

All in all, before you make any investments decision, be sure to do your research and be sure you’re making the right decision for your financial goals.

Readers, are you planning on investing in the Lyft IPO? 

Photo: JD Lasica

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Your Quick Guide to Understanding Schwab ETFs

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schwab etf

Schwab ETFs are a great choice for beginning investors. In fact, you’ll often see Charles Schwab mentioned as ideal for beginning investors. Even better, if you’re seeking commission-free ETFs, then Schwab ETFs are the way to go.

Therefore, if you’ve already done basic investing into savings and retirement accounts, and you’re ready to take things to the next level, you might want to learn more about ETFs in general and Schwab ETFs specifically.

What Are ETFs?

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a type of investment fund, combining stocks, bonds, and commodities. Therefore, they provide one of the easiest ways to start diversifying your investment portfolio.

ETFs vs. Mutual Funds

If you are familiar with mutual funds, then you’ll find it pretty easy to understand ETFs. However, whereas classic mutual funds are bought and sold once a day, ETF trading happens several times per day. Furthermore, the fees are usually lower than they are with mutual funds. Plus ETFs are more tax-friendly.

Another difference is that as a new investor you’ll have a lot more insight into your investment than you do with mutual funds. ETFs publish their holdings every day. Therefore, you can see exactly what your investment is each day. In contrast, mutual funds only publish their holdings on a quarterly basis. If you’re concerned about where your money is invested, you might want more transparency than that.

Schwab ETFs Offer Commission-Free Trading

ETFs trade like stocks, which means that there’s typically a fee each time that you make a trade. The fee is often low, but if you trade frequently, then it can add up. Therefore, it’s important for you to be very aware of that fee.

More importantly, you should be aware of the option to avoid that fee. Commission-free ETFs give you that option. If you’re just starting to invest in ETFs then you definitely want to look for a place that will give you this option.

One of the most-mentioned benefits of Schwab ETFs is that they are commission-free. Most brokerage companies offer some commission-free ETFs. However, each has their own terms, conditions, and number of available options. Charles Schwab currently offers 500+ commission-free ETFs. This is a large number compared to many other brokerage firms.

In fact, when Schwab launched their commission-free ETF program in 2013, they were one of the first companies to offer this now-popular service. They had about 100 commission-free ETFs at the time of launch, and they’ve just grown larger since. They don’t charge any fees for early redemption or assessing activity, so costs stay low.

Schwab ETF OneSource vs. Schwab ETFs

Charles Schwab offers a range of different products. If you’re interested in commission-free ETFs then you want to learn more about the Schwab ETF OneSource program. It’s through this program that you get access to those 500+ commission-free ETFs.

However, as Motley Fool and others have pointed out, you can also invest in Schwab’s own ETFs. There aren’t nearly as many as these (about two dozen). However, in some cases, they may be financially the smarter choice. That’s because each ETF has an expense ratio. If an ETF is very specialized, the expense ratio is higher. Therefore, you might actually benefit from paying a smaller commission than getting a commission-free ETF through Schwab ETF OneSource.

That said, if you already have an account with Schwab then you can get access to commission-free options even on regular Schwab ETFs. In other words, it pays to do your research. Luckily, Schwab offers a lot of online resources to help you better understand all of your choices and the benefits or ramifications of each choice.

Getting Guidance and Support

As a new investor, you may find ETFs overwhelming. That’s where Schwab’s tools and support system can really help. They have set things up in such a way that makes it easy to understand how to invest in ETFs. If you’re still confused, they have 24/7 support to answer your questions via phone or chat. Moreover, if you live near a branch office, then you can meet with an advisor in person and attend free educational workshops to improve your understanding of these investments.

Use Schwab’s ETF Select List

One important tool is the Schwab ETF Select List. The company launched this original tool in 2011 to help make it easier to see which ETFs are best for you. You can sort the list by various features, including the expense ratio. In other words, it’s easy to see what your trading cost will be when you use this list. The list is updated quarterly.

Use Schwab’s Personalized Portfolio Builder

The Personalized Portfolio Builder is another important tool that you can use to improve your Schwab ETF trading decisions. You provide information about your financial goals, your investment time period, and your tolerance for risk. Then you work with the tool to see the best recommendations for your ETFs. This helps you create a diverse portfolio that meets your unique needs.

Or Use a Robo-Advisor

If you like the idea of ETFs but don’t want to deal with managing them yourself, that’s okay. Schwab offers Schwab Intelligent Portfolios. In other words, they have a robo-advisor tool that will manage your investments for you.

Benefits of a Schwab ETF

According to a study of the Schwab ETFs review available online, here are the benefits that investors appreciate most:

  • In addition to no-commission ETFs, the ETFs that have commission fees are low-cost.
  • Expense ratios are comparable to or lower than competitors.
  • It’s relatively easy to navigate Schwab ETFs, and especially ideal for beginners.
  • Schwab ranks among the best when it comes to the detail and transparency of their research.

Furthermore, Schwab ETFs regularly rank as the best in the industry. In mid-2018, Forbes listed Charles Schwab as number one for ETFs, followed closely by Vanguard in second place. They specifically noted that Schwab has the cheapest ETF, recommending the Schwab U.S. Small-Cap (SCHA) as the most inexpensive option overall.

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Why Are Gas Prices Going Up Again?

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gas prices going up

As of mid-March, the average gas price in the United States crossed the $2.50 mark. In some cities, prices in excess of $3.30 have become increasingly common, putting a strain on household budgets. Even if the price of gas is below where most of the country was at the same time last year, the swift rise may be concerning, especially if you don’t know why it is happening. Here are some insights into why gas prices are starting to increase again.

Refinery Maintenance

Many refineries begin performing maintenance in February, and the activities can continue through May. This decreases their production capabilities. As a result, the supply constricts, increasing the price of gasoline. Essentially, this process creates a pattern when it comes to the price of gas. The cost for a gallon of fuel typically increases starting late winter and through spring thanks to the maintenance routine. However, maintenance at the refineries is critical. Otherwise, equipment could break down entirely, and that would be a much worse situation for them and for customers at the pump.

Fluctuations in Wholesale Oil Prices

One of the biggest influences on gas prices is the cost of wholesale oil. When wholesale oil, also known as crude oil, becomes more expensive, refineries spend more to acquire oil. These price increases are then passed down the line, impacting what gas stations pay for fuel and what customers have to pay.

In some cases, wholesale oil prices go up because the producers simply choose to make it less accessible, such as by restricting the output volume. However, a variety of other situations can also lead to increases, including civil turmoil and natural disasters. For instance, the political situation in Venezuela has reduced production in the country, impacting the market at large.

Usually, the ratio of the increase is close to 1:1. Gas prices rise in conjunction with wholesale oil prices, so customers aren’t necessarily shouldering a higher percentage of the burden then they did before. However, that doesn’t mean the increased cost isn’t difficult to bear, particularly if you have a tight budget.

Other Factors That Impact Gas Prices

Other factors influence how much you pay at the pump. For example, changes to international trade agreements can affect the price. Similarly, output and production decisions at major oil refineries play a role, as well as general supply and demand.

During the spring and summer, more people tend to hit the road. This increases demand and can strain the supply slightly. When this occurs, rising prices aim to balance off the supply and demand ratio, as a higher cost may deter some from driving as much, bringing demand back in line with supply.

State and local tax changes also impact the price of fuel. If your state or municipality increases the gas tax rate, prices go up to compensate, regardless of the available supply. Local refinery issues, such as break downs or catastrophic events that impact production (such as a fire) also impact the price of gas. However, those tend to be relatively short-term issues and, one the facility is fully operational again, gas prices decrease.

At times, transportation problems can make gas more expensive. For instance, severe weather may delay shipment of wholesale oil to refineries or fuel to gas stations, resulting in short-term price fluctuations.

How to Combat Rising Fuel Prices

When gas prices rise, it is wise to spend some time finding the cheapest station in your local area. Shopping around can pay off. Just make sure to check prices before each fill up as the station that was the cheapest yesterday might not be the most affordable option today.

Using grocery rewards points to lower your price at the pump can also be a smart financial move, as well as signing up for a gas rewards credit card, suggesting you don’t carry a balance and can qualify.

Making fewer trips is also a great way to use as little fuel as possible, so consider grouping your errands into a single day and plot an efficient path between locations before you hit the road. Avoiding speed, and make sure you maintain your vehicle properly. Limit your city driving (or time spent idling) to use less fuel when you drive.

Ultimately, gas prices will likely continue to rise into the early summer and possibly beyond. Much of this is out of consumer control, so being smart about your spending and shopping around before you fill up is essential if you need to keep your budget in order.

Do you worry when gas prices rise? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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