Twenty Percent Declines. Steeper declines result in longer shutdowns. If a 20 percent decline is reached before 1 p.m., the shutdown lasts for two hours, while trading ceases for one hour if the point is reached between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. When the market drops by 20 percent after 2 p.m., the market closes for the day. The stock market in New York has now been closed for about an hour. You can find a history of market closings going back further in time here. epa04826700 Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the start of the trading day in New York, New York, USA, 01 July 2015. *** Each market will close early at 1:00 p.m. (1:15 p.m. for eligible options) on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, and Thursday, December 24, 2020. Crossing Session orders will be accepted beginning at 1:00 p.m. for continuous executions until 1:30 p.m. on this date, and NYSE American Equities, NYSE Arca Equities,