TLDR: CME Globex opens major equity, interest-rate, energy, FX, and metals products for the Tuesday, September 8 trade date at 5:00 p.m. Central on Sunday, September 6. On Labor Day, Monday, September 7, equity-index and interest-rate products move to preopen at 12:00 p.m. CT, when CME permits order entry, modification, and cancellation but no order matching; they reopen at 5:00 p.m. CT. Energy and metals move to preopen at 1:30 p.m. CT and reopen at 5:00 p.m. CT. CME says it will not publish Monday settlement prices for CME, CBOT, NYMEX, or COMEX products. Times can change, so verify the exchange and broker schedule before the holiday.
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Labor Day in the United States falls on Monday, September 7, 2026. Futures are not simply “open” or “closed” for the entire holiday. Different product groups have different periods for continuous matching, preopen, pause, and close.
This guide focuses on common CME Globex products. Your broker can impose an earlier cutoff, higher margin, or separate maintenance window.
Are Futures Markets Open on Labor Day 2026?
Many CME Globex futures markets are open for part of Labor Day, then stop matching orders early and reopen Monday evening. The exact time depends on the product group.
CME defines preopen as a state in which order entry, modification, and cancellation are allowed but orders do not match. It is therefore misleading to call the market normally open during preopen.
CME Labor Day 2026 Schedule for Major Product Groups
The following times are Central Time, the timezone used on CME's schedule.
| Product group | Sunday, Sept. 6 | Monday, Sept. 7 | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equities | Preopen 4:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | Preopen/no matching 12:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, YM, MYM, RTY, M2K |
| Interest rates | Preopen 4:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | Preopen/no matching 12:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | SOFR and Treasury futures |
| Energy | Preopen 4:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | Preopen/no matching 1:30 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | CL, MCL, NG |
| Metals | Preopen 4:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | Preopen/no matching 1:30 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | GC, MGC, SI, SIL |
| FX | Preopen 4:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | Preopen/no matching 4:00 p.m.; open 5:00 p.m. | 6E, 6J, 6B and other CME FX futures |
| Grains | Preopen 4:00 p.m. | Open 7:00 p.m. | Corn, wheat, soybeans |
CME's holiday notes say day orders entered after a product's Sunday preopen are for the Tuesday, September 8 trade date and can continue working until that product's Tuesday Globex close. Tuesday, September 8 has a regular CME Globex close for all products.
Labor Day Futures Hours in Eastern Time
In September, Central Time is one hour behind Eastern Time. For the most commonly traded groups:
| Product group | Monday no-matching period begins | Monday evening reopen |
|---|---|---|
| Equities and interest rates | 1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT | 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Energy and metals | 2:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. CT | 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT |
| FX | 5:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. CT | 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT |
If your platform displays exchange time, local time, or UTC, confirm the setting rather than converting from memory.
What Are the Labor Day Hours for ES and NQ?
ES, MES, NQ, and MNQ are in CME's equities group. The schedule shows a Sunday preopen at 4:00 p.m. CT and continuous trading beginning at 5:00 p.m. CT. On Monday, the market moves into preopen at noon CT, meaning no order matching, and resumes continuous trading at 5:00 p.m. CT.
In Eastern Time, the no-matching period begins at 1:00 p.m. and ends when trading resumes at 6:00 p.m.
What Are the Labor Day Hours for CL and Gold?
Energy products such as CL and MCL and metals products such as GC, MGC, SI, and SIL follow the same high-level holiday timing in CME's table: Sunday preopen at 4:00 p.m. CT, open at 5:00 p.m. CT, move to preopen at 1:30 p.m. CT Monday, and reopen at 5:00 p.m. CT.
The resulting no-matching period runs from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. CT, or 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. ET.
Will CME Publish Settlement Prices on Labor Day?
No for the major CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX product groups. CME's official settlement notice states that all products settle at normal times on Friday, September 4, but CME will not derive or disseminate settlement prices on Monday, September 7.
The notice identifies a narrow exception for certain crypto fixing or marker prices used for options exercise and assignment. Do not confuse a live last-traded price with an official daily settlement.
Why Holiday Sessions Can Behave Differently
An exchange session can be open while participation is lower than usual. U.S. cash equity and many institutional desks are closed for Labor Day. Holiday futures conditions may include:
- Lower volume and shallower order-book depth.
- Wider spreads or less size at the best bid and ask.
- More price movement from a smaller order.
- Larger slippage on market and stop orders.
- Fewer confirming signals from the related cash market.
- Gaps when broader participation returns.
These conditions are possible, not guaranteed. Check the live market rather than assuming every holiday session will be quiet.
What Happens to Working Orders at the Holiday Halt?
Order treatment depends on the exchange state, time-in-force, product, and broker. CME says its preopen state allows entry, modification, and cancellation but no matching. CME's Labor Day note also says qualifying day orders entered after Sunday preopen carry the Tuesday trade date and can continue working until Tuesday's close.
Your broker may still cancel, reject, or restrict an order under its own rules. Verify:
- How DAY, GTC, and GTD orders behave.
- Whether bracket orders remain linked across the halt.
- Whether stops are held at the exchange or broker.
- Whether intraday margin changes before the early halt.
- Whether the platform disconnects for maintenance.
Holiday Automation Checklist
- Verify the current CME schedule and your broker's separate notice.
- Convert every time into the timezone displayed by the platform.
- Confirm whether the strategy is allowed to enter before the early halt.
- Decide how open positions should be handled before no matching begins.
- Check order time-in-force and bracket behavior across the break.
- Confirm the active futures contract and broker symbol.
- Reduce size if lower liquidity increases expected slippage or stop risk.
- Set maximum daily loss and a manual flattening procedure.
- Do not assume the absence of a Monday settlement means the market was closed all day.
Using UMT Around Holiday Futures Hours
UMT Automator connects eligible TradingView strategy activity with broker-side automated order execution through an active browser workflow. It does not override exchange hours, broker maintenance, margin rules, or order restrictions.
Before a holiday, confirm that the strategy's session filters match the intended exchange schedule. A strategy that assumes normal weekday hours may create signals during preopen, after an early halt, or before the broker is ready to accept the intended order.
Want to validate your holiday-session controls? Review the UMT Automator requirements and current plans, then follow the UMT Getting Started guide. Request the current free seven-day trial at support@ultramegatrader.com and paper trade the schedule first.
Labor Day Futures Hours FAQ
Is the futures market open on Labor Day 2026?
Many CME Globex products trade for part of Monday, September 7, then enter preopen with no matching and reopen in the evening. Product groups have different cutoff times.
What time do ES and NQ stop trading on Labor Day?
CME's equities schedule moves to preopen at 12:00 p.m. Central, or 1:00 p.m. Eastern, on Monday. Continuous matching resumes at 5:00 p.m. Central, or 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
What time do CL and gold futures stop matching on Labor Day?
Energy and metals move to preopen at 1:30 p.m. Central, or 2:30 p.m. Eastern, and reopen at 5:00 p.m. Central, or 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
Does CME publish a settlement on Labor Day?
CME says it will not derive or disseminate Monday settlement prices for CME, CBOT, NYMEX, or COMEX products. Friday, September 4 uses normal settlement times.
Are Labor Day trades dated Monday or Tuesday?
CME's holiday note says day orders entered after Sunday preopen are for trade date Tuesday, September 8.
Does my broker use the same holiday schedule?
The exchange schedule is the starting point. Brokers can impose earlier cutoffs, higher margins, maintenance windows, or product restrictions, so verify the broker notice too.
Risk and Schedule Notice
CME states that holiday hours are subject to change. This article reflects the exchange schedule checked on August 31, 2026. Futures are leveraged and holiday liquidity may differ from normal sessions. This material is educational and is not personalized investment advice.
