Major U.S. indices declined to close lower on Wednesday as the markets headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. Banks, post offices, shipping services, stock markets and all the other over-the-counter markets like bond markets will be closed on Thursday.

What Happened: Despite the holiday, Dow Jones futures will continue trading over the day. Stock exchanges worldwide including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mumbai, and London would continue to operate. Also, U.S. stock exchanges will re-open on Friday to close early by 1:00 p.m. ET.

Additionally, Walmart, Target and Costco stores will be closed because of the festive celebrations.

Thanksgiving week tends to be historically bullish. However, the S&P 500 Index has gained 0.98% in the last five days, but the Nasdaq 100 Index has slipped by 0.15% in the same period. Russell 2000 Index and NYSE Composite Index on the other hand rose by 4.06% and 2.33% respectively in the last five sessions.

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Are Banks Open?

Major financial institutions including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and TD Bank will close their branches for the festival.

Federal Reserve banks will also shut operations for the holiday. Customers should verify specific branch hours through their bank’s website or mobile app.

Significance Of The Holiday

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada commemorating the harvest and the blessings from the past year.

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