Australia’s sharemarket is heading into Christmas with momentum and a shorter trading week — and that makes the ASX holiday timetable more important than usual for investors, traders, SMSFs and anyone managing settlement deadlines.
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) will close for Christmas Day (Thursday, 25 December 2025) and Boxing Day (Friday, 26 December 2025), and it will also be closed for New Year’s Day (Thursday, 1 January 2026). The market also runs early closes on Christmas Eve (Wednesday, 24 December 2025) and New Year’s Eve (Wednesday, 31 December 2025).
With the ASX 200 pushing higher into the holiday period and analysts pointing to a “Santa rally” tone in the final sessions, market participants are also bracing for the usual holiday-thinned liquidity and faster-moving headlines. ABC+2IG+2
Key ASX dates around Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026
All times below are Sydney time (AEDT) for this period.
Wednesday, 24 December 2025 — ASX open, early close (Christmas Eve)
- Status: Trading day, close early
- Early close: Normal trading ceases at 14:10 (2:10pm)
- Close process: ASX participants have been advised the Cash Market Closing Single Price Auction (CSPA)occurs at 14:10:00 + 30 seconds, with late trading session states commencing from 14:21:30.
- Market Announcements Office: Closes at 16:30 (4:30pm) on shortened trading days.
Thursday, 25 December 2025 — ASX closed (Christmas Day)
- Status: Closed (non-trading day, non-business day)
- Settlement: No settlement activity (CHESS and relevant clearing).
Friday, 26 December 2025 — ASX closed (Boxing Day)
- Status: Closed (non-trading day, non-business day)
- Settlement: No settlement activity (CHESS and relevant clearing).
Monday, 29 December 2025 — ASX reopens (normal trading)
Because the market is shut for Christmas Day and Boxing Day and then the weekend follows, the ASX is expected to reopen on Monday, 29 December 2025. ABC’s markets live coverage described the market as “closed until Monday December 29” after the shortened session. ABC
Wednesday, 31 December 2025 — ASX open, early close (New Year’s Eve)
- Status: Trading day, close early
- Early close: Normal trading ceases at 14:10 (2:10pm)
- Close process: CSPA timing and late session states apply as per ASX operational notice.
- Market Announcements Office: Closes at 16:30 (4:30pm).
Thursday, 1 January 2026 — ASX closed (New Year’s Day)
- Status: Closed (non-trading day, non-business day)
- Settlement: No settlement activity (CHESS and relevant clearing).
What “early close” means on the ASX (and why it matters)
The phrase “close early” can sound simple, but the detail matters if you’re placing orders late in the day, managing stop-loss levels, or trying to ensure a trade settles by a particular date.
On both 24 December 2025 and 31 December 2025, the ASX trading calendar states that normal trading ceases at 14:10 (Sydney time).
ASX’s operational notice to participants adds extra precision: on those two days, the cash market CSPA is scheduled at 14:10:00 + 30 seconds, and subsequent “late trading session states” begin later in the afternoon. ASX Online
For everyday investors, the practical takeaway is:
- Don’t assume you can trade “right up until 4pm” on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.
- If you must trade on those days, aim to place orders earlier, because market depth can thin out and spreads may widen as the early close approaches.
- Check your broker’s specific cutoff times for amendments/cancellations and how they handle the closing auction.
Settlement and CHESS: the hidden impact of ASX holiday closures
Holiday closures don’t just change when you can trade — they also change when trades settle.
On Christmas Day (Dec 25), Boxing Day (Dec 26), and New Year’s Day (Jan 1), the ASX trading calendar shows “No Settlement” for both ASX Settlement (CHESS) and ASX Clear (Derivatives). Australian Securities Exchange
Brokers also routinely remind clients that these dates are not included when calculating settlement timeframes (for example, the usual T+2 timetable for Australian equities).
Simple settlement examples around Christmas 2025 (T+2 concept)
These examples are meant as practical illustrations — your broker may show the exact settlement date in your contract note:
- A trade executed on Tuesday, 23 December 2025 would normally look for settlement two business days later, but Dec 25 and Dec 26 are non-business days, so settlement can push into the following week.
- A trade executed on Wednesday, 31 December 2025 faces New Year’s Day (Jan 1) as a non-business day, which can also shift settlement timing.
If you’re trying to coordinate:
- end-of-year tax positioning,
- cash withdrawals/transfers,
- corporate action deadlines, or
- option/ETO management,
…build in extra buffer around these non-settlement days.
The market backdrop: why the 2025 Christmas timetable is in focus
Holiday schedules matter every year, but the timing can feel even more consequential when the market is moving.
In the final stretch into Christmas, ABC’s market coverage pointed to the ASX entering a shortened Christmas trading week, with the ASX 200 up strongly and commodities (including gold) making headlines.
Separately, IG’s 23 December report described the ASX 200 extending a multi-session winning streak amid “Santa Claus rally” sentiment, with attention on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest messaging and sector leadership across financials, property and energy. IG
Why that matters for the holiday schedule:
- Shortened sessions + strong momentum can amplify intraday swings.
- Liquidity typically drops as desks thin out, and that can make price moves look bigger than usual on relatively modest volume.
- Headlines don’t stop just because the market is shut — they can build up over the break and hit sentiment when trading resumes.
Don’t forget other venues: Cboe and ASX 24 calendars
Most everyday investors think “ASX” and mean the main Australian sharemarket, but operational schedules also matter across the broader ecosystem:
- Cboe Australia (AU equities venue) publishes an Australian holiday schedule that aligns with the key dates (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day) and also flags early closes on the last business day before Christmas and the last business day of the year.
- ASX 24 (derivatives) follows its own holiday calendar and can have different early close times by product(equity vs rates/energy/agriculture), so active futures traders should check the ASX 24 calendar specifically.
Investor checklist: how to prepare for ASX Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026 closures
- Know the hard closures
- ASX closed Dec 25, Dec 26, and Jan 1.
- Plan around early closes
- Early close at 2:10pm Sydney time (AEDT) on Dec 24 and Dec 31.
- Expect thinner liquidity
- Particularly in the last hour before the early close and into the final sessions of the year.
- Double-check settlement timing
- Non-trading days are also non-settlement days, which can push settlement out.
- Watch announcements timing
- ASX notes the Market Announcements Office closes at 4:30pm on shortened trading days.
- Confirm broker support hours
- Many brokers and platforms run reduced phone/support hours during the holiday window even when the exchange is open.
Quick FAQs (Australia stock market holiday schedule)
Is the ASX open on Christmas Eve 2025?
Yes — Wednesday, 24 December 2025 is a trading day, but normal trading ceases at 2:10pm (Sydney time).
Is the ASX closed on Boxing Day 2025?
Yes — Friday, 26 December 2025 is a full market closure and a non-settlement day.
Is the ASX open on New Year’s Day 2026?
No — Thursday, 1 January 2026 is a full market closure and a non-settlement day.
Bottom line
For Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026, the ASX holiday schedule is straightforward — but the early close mechanicsand settlement knock-on effects are where people get caught out.
If you only remember three things:
- 2:10pm early closes on Dec 24 and Dec 31 (Sydney time),
- full closures on Dec 25, Dec 26, and Jan 1, and
- no settlement on those closed holidays,
…you’ll be well positioned to avoid last-minute surprises heading into the year-end break.
