AFP/Getty Images Celebrating the July Fourth holiday.U.S. financial markets will be closed early on Monday and completely shut down on Tuesday in observance of July Fourth. Other global markets will operate on normal schedule, however, trading volumes are expected to be lower. Next week marks the beginning of a new month, new quarter and the start of the second half of the year. U.S. equity markets will enter the second half with solid gains, as the S&P 500 SPX, +0.15% is up 8% since the start of the year. Bond markets also did well, with Treasury prices up, and yields on benchmark long-dated bonds down 20 basis points since the start of the year. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Meanwhile, the dollar weakened against major rivals, with the ICE U.S. Dollar index falling 6% year to date. Traders expect thin trading on Monday, as many will be away on vacation or taking advantage of the long holiday weekend. The Securities Industries and Financial Markets Associations has recommended that the bond markets close early on Monday at 2 p.m. Eastern and be closed completely on Tuesday. The New York Stock Exchange will end trading at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday and will be closed on Tuesday. Trading in derivatives such as options and futures will be limited on Monday and closed on Tuesday. Settlement of options and futures on CME Group’s Globex on Monday will be at noon for agricultural, interest rate, foreign exchange, real estate, weather and equity products and at 3 p.m. Eastern for metals and energy products. Asian and European markets will be open as will the currency markets.via