Here's what you need to know about whether U.S. stock markets will be open or closed on Black Friday this year.

Even in an age of instant communication and live financial data, investors have had to wait days to take ownership of the stocks they purchased or to receive payment for the stocks they sold. No longer.

The Cboe Skew Index, which measures options traders’ demand for tail-risk hedges, has risen sharply since Nov. 12, when it touched a post-election low. The index closed above 167 on Monday, its highest reading in more than two months, according to LSEG data.

Here's what you need to know about whether U.S. stock markets will be open or closed on Thanksgiving this year.

Thursday: U.S. markets are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Friday: Markets close early in the U.S. The stock market closes at 1 p.m., while bond markets are slated to shut down an hour later. Black Friday marks the start of the holiday shopping season.

Now, of course, there’s another “holiday” on the day after Thanksgiving —namely, the shopping extravaganza known as Black Friday. So, what will be open (or closed) on Thanksgiving and Black Friday? Here’s what to expect.

It's time to start getting ducks in a row before businesses across the state close down for Thanksgiving. As Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, many government run organizations will close down on Thanksgiving Day,