What holidays affect my trading schedule for Funded Level Accounts?

Understanding CME Protocol for Holidays:

When preparing your trading sessions around the Holidays, the first thing is to understand if your data provider follows the “CME Protocol” for Holidays.

What does it mean to follow the CME Protocol for Holidays?

CME may merge multiple calendar days into one trading day on recognized holidays where there are abbreviated trading hours. For example, if a holiday falls on a Monday, and there are shortened trading hours on that Monday, the exchange may count all PNL from Sunday’s Open through Tuesday’s Close as a single trading day.

What does it mean if the platform I am using does NOT follow CME Protocol?

This means that each day, including holidays with abbreviated trading hours, will count as individual days. PNLs and drawdowns will be reset each calendar day.

Understanding the Abbreviated Hours around Holidays and Flattening Requirements:

Below are the holidays observed by the CME. The list includes holiday market closures as well as the holiday abbreviated trading hours and a note if funded traders will be unable to trade. Depending on the holiday, Topstep may allow or prohibit trading on holidays with shortened hours. You will receive an email with more information about each specific holiday as they get closer.

On days when Topstep permits holiday trading, Topstep requires any trader in a funded level account to flatten their positions 30 minutes before the early close. Failure to exit all open positions by 11:30 AM CT could result in the suspension of the account. Anyone in a Swing Legacy Funded Account or Swing Premium Funded Account can continue to hold open positions normally unless Topstep has prohibited trading on a specific holiday.

This information applies to the Express Funded Account™, Legacy Funded Account, Live Funded Account, and Premium Funded Account. If you are trading in the Trading Combine, please see this article for Holiday Trading.

For example, on February 21, 2022, Topstep permits holiday trading. The markets stopped trading at 12:00 PM CT; funded level accounts needed to be flat 30 minutes prior to 11:30 AM CT.

2023 Holiday Trading Hours:

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Monday, January 16: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

• President's Day
  • Monday, February 20: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

• Good Friday
  • Friday, April 7: All positions must be closed by 7:45 AM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT on Sunday, April 9.

• Memorial Day - NO TRADING ALLOWED FOR FUNDED TRADERS
  
  • Monday, May 29: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

• Juneteenth
  • Monday, June 19: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

• Independence Day - NO TRADING ALLOWED FOR FUNDED TRADERS
  • Tuesday, July 4: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT. 

• Labor Day - NO TRADING ALLOWED FOR FUNDED TRADERS
  • Monday, September 4: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

• Thanksgiving - NO TRADING ALLOWED FOR FUNDED TRADERS
  • Thursday, November 23: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.
  • Friday, November 24: All positions must be closed by 12:00 PM CT. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT on Sunday, November 26.

• Christmas
  • Sunday, December 24: Markets Closed
  • Monday, December 25: Markets Closed. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

• New Year’s 
  
  • Sunday, December 31: Markets Closed
  • Monday, January 1: Markets Closed. You may reopen positions after 5:00 PM CT.

Holiday Calendar:

Please note the view can be toggled to Week, Month, or Agenda options.