What Are the Hours of the Stock Market? - SmartAsset (2024)

What Are the Hours of the Stock Market? - SmartAsset (1)

The stock markets that most Americans use – the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ – are both open Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Times. Other stock exchanges in different parts of the world – the London Stock Exchange in the U.K or the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan, for instance – operate based on local time zones and local customs. Below, you’ll find details on the hours of operations for stock exchanges all around the world. If you want help buying and selling stocks and building your portfolio, consider working with a financial advisor.

Stock Market Hours in the U.S. & Canada

The NYSE andthe NASDAQare the two main American exchanges, both of which are headquartered in New York City. They are each open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Both markets close for nine federal holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Toronto Stock Exchange, or TMX Group, headquartered in Toronto, is also open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. It closes for 10 holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Boxing Day. It has modified hours on Christmas Eve.

Stock Market Hours in Europe

Euronext, headquartered in Amsterdam, is open from 8 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. Central European Time (CET). It is closed for six holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas and Boxing Day. The Euronext exchange also has modified hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The SIX Swiss Exchange, headquartered in Zurich, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. CET. It’s not open on 12 holidays a year, including New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

The London Stock Exchange Group, headquartered in London, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or British Summer Time (BST). It closes for eight holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, an early May bank holiday, a spring bank holiday, a summer bank holiday, Christmas and Boxing Day. The exchange also has modified hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Stock Market Hours in Asia

While the NYSE, NASDAQ and TMX Group exchanges do not close for lunch, many markets in Asia do. These include the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, which is open from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Japan Standard Time (JST). The Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed for 22 holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, market holidays on January 2 and 3, Coming of Age Day, National Foundation Day, Emperor’s Birthday, Vernal Equinox, Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, Children’s Day, Marine Day, Mountain Day, Respect for the Aged Day, Autumnal Equinox, Sports Day, Labor Thanksgiving Day and a market holiday on December 31.

Both the Shanghai Stock Exchange, headquartered in Shanghai, and Shenzhen Stock Exchange, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, are open from from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. China Standard Time (CST). Both close down for 15 holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, five days for the Spring Festival in February, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, two days for the Mid-Autumn Festival and four days for National Days in October.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange, headquartered in Hong Kong, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hong Kong Time (HKT). It also closes for 17 holidays per year, including New Year’s Day, three days for the Lunar New Year, Qingming Festival, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Special Administration Region Establishment Day, three National Days, two days for Christmas and New Years Day.

The Bombay Stock Exchange, headquartered in Mumbai, is open from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST). It closes for 14 holidays per year, including Republic Day, Mahashrivati, Holi, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti, Good Friday,Ram Navami,Id-Ul-Fitr, Bakri Id, Independence Day, Ganesh Chaturthi, Muharram, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra, Diwali, Gurunanak Jayanti and Christmas.

How Extended-Hours Trading Works

What Are the Hours of the Stock Market? - SmartAsset (2)

Investors can trade stocks during the hours before and after the stock market closes. Known asafter-hours trading, this allows you to buy or sell stocks after the market closes. On the other hand, pre-market trading happens in the hours before the market opens Together, after-hours and pre-market trading make up extended-hours trading.

While investors can trade stocks during weekday mornings and evenings, trading on weekends is not possible. The only exception is if it’s on an international exchange that’s already open in that time zone. For example, the NYSE offers after-hours trading from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The NASDAQ offers pre-market trading from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and after-hours trading from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Depending on the exchange, there may be different rules for after-hours trading than for normal trading hours. In addition, each brokerage firm may have different rules for trading when the market closes. Most brokerages require customers to agree to the Electronic Communication Network, or ECN, user agreement before engaging in after-hours trading.Sometimes customers are required to discuss it with a representative so that they can understand the potential risks associated with after-hours trading, such as less liquidity and more volatility. ECN electronically matches buyers and sellers to execute limit orders.Sometimes, after-hours orders happen through a dealer at a price that’s better than the ECN’s best offer. At the end of extended-hours, any incomplete orders are canceled.

A few brokerage accounts that offer after-hours trading include Merrill Edge, Fidelity and Charles Schwab.

The Pros and Cons of Extended-Hours Trading

For starters, you can trade at any time with after-hours trading. In other words, you can trade when it’s most convenient for you or in response to timely news events.

Many public companies release their quarterly earnings after 4 p.m. EST, when the NYSE has closed. Therefore, investors can immediately place a trade after companies release their earning. Under normal circ*mstances, investors would have to wait until the market opens again.The U.S. employment report releases at 8:30 a.m. EST the first Friday of every month. Rather than waiting until 9:30 a.m., an investor could adjust their position immediately after the report comes out.

There is no guarantee your order will go through during outside hours, even if you make the order. The vast majority of trading happens during normal business hours. That means if you are selling stock, there is more demand during normal business hours. If you are buying stock, there is more supply during normal business hours.In addition, price volatility tends to be higher during after-hours trading, and there may be trading limitations imposed by your broker. For example, if you’re a new or inexperienced investor, your brokerage account may not allow for buying specific investments that are exceptionally volatile.

However, one of the main potential disadvantages is that buying and selling outside of normal business hours could negatively impact your profitability.For example, if you are trying to sell shares of stock during extended hours, there might not be as many buyers interested in those shares. In this case, you might not be able to get the price you want.

Bottom Line

What Are the Hours of the Stock Market? - SmartAsset (3)

Stock market hours may vary worldwide, but after-hours trading offers you ample convenience. It can be especially useful if you need to make trades right away and minimize the risk.

It might be smart to consider a limit order if you need to place an order immediately, but don’t care what time of the day the trade goes through. A limit order will allow you to choose the price you’re comfortable buying or selling at, without time being a concern. It could be filled any time the price you selected is available.

There are many different stock markets to choose from. So if you decide that after-hours trading is not for you, consider a stock market with different hours. You can also simply wait to trade during normal business hours.

Tips for Buying and Selling Stocks

  • If you’re new to buying and selling stocks, you may want to consider working with a financial advisor.Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • The stock market isn’t the only place you can invest your money. Consider learning aboutdifferent types of investments and how they work before deciding where to build your portfolio.

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/SARINYAPINNGAM, ©iStock.com/Easyturn, ©iStock.com/da-kuk

Sarah Fisher Sarah Fisher has been researching and writing about business and finance for years. She has worked for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and her work has appeared on Business Insider and Yahoo Finance. Sarah has a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and is from New York City. When she isn't writing finance articles, she dabbles in animation and graphic design.

What Are the Hours of the Stock Market? - SmartAsset (2024)

FAQs

What are the hours of the stock market? ›

The NYSE is open from Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The NYSE may occasionally close early, either on a planned or unplanned basis.

What are the best stock market hours? ›

The opening 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) period is often one of the best hours of the day for day trading, offering the biggest moves in the shortest amount of time. A lot of professional day traders stop trading around 11:30 a.m. because that is when volatility and volume tend to taper off.

What is the 10 am rule? ›

In 1935, the Forest Service established the so-called 10 a.m. policy, which decreed that every fire should be suppressed by 10 a.m. the day following its initial report. Other federal land management agencies quickly followed suit and joined the campaign to eliminate fire from the landscape.

What is the 20 rule in stocks? ›

In investing, the 80-20 rule generally holds that 20% of the holdings in a portfolio are responsible for 80% of the portfolio's growth. On the flip side, 20% of a portfolio's holdings could be responsible for 80% of its losses.

Is there a 24 hour stock market? ›

Key Facts. The 24-hour trading service will allow round-the-clock trading in 43 securities between 8 p.m. ET Sunday and 8 p.m. ET Friday, with plans to add more securities at a later time, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev told the Wall Street Journal.

Can I buy stocks at 3pm? ›

In India, there are two primary stock markets—BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and National Stock Exchange of India (NSE). Both these markets operate from 9 AM to 3:45 PM.

What time of day are stock prices lowest? ›

Afternoon Hours. After the morning mayhem, price movements and trading volume tend to settle down. Company news released during the midday or afternoon hours seldom creates the volatility seen after the open.

What time are stocks usually the lowest? ›

After heavy trading in the opening hours, market activity tends to slow down around noon. As a result, it may be safer for beginner investors to enter the market around midday. That is the time when the market is most stable as high-frequency trading has slowed or stopped.

What hours is the stock market most volatile? ›

Rush hours
  • 9:30–9:40 a.m. Stocks that open higher or lower than they closed typically continue rising or falling for the first five to 10 minutes…
  • 9:40–10:00 a.m. … ...
  • 10:00 a.m. In either case, you should know by this time whether the opening trend will hold or reverse itself.

What day of the week is best to buy stocks? ›

Best day of the week to buy stocks. Mondays and Fridays can be slightly more volatile for buying and selling stocks than in the middle of the week. On Mondays, markets can be affected by news from the weekend.

What are the best months for the stock market? ›

The monthly historical returns of both the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average show that the best months for the stock market are November, December, and April. The months of October and January also performed well but not as well as the months of April, November, and December.

What is the best day to buy call options? ›

Monday returns are the lowest in the equity market, but highest in the options market. Options traders typically avoid holding contracts through the weekend, resulting in large seller-initiated option volume accompanied by a drop in open interest at the end of the week.

What is the 80% rule in stock market? ›

Based on the application of famed economist Vilfredo Pareto's 80-20 rule, here are a few examples: 80% of your stock market portfolio's profits might come from 20% of your holdings. 80% of a company's revenues may derive from 20% of its clients. 20% of the world's population accounts for 80% of its wealth.

What is the 50% rule in stocks? ›

The fifty percent principle is a rule of thumb that anticipates the size of a technical correction. The fifty percent principle states that when a stock or other asset begins to fall after a period of rapid gains, it will lose at least 50% of its most recent gains before the price begins advancing again.

What is the number 1 rule of stocks? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule.

Can you buy stocks at 3am? ›

Traditionally, the markets are open from 9:30 AM to 4 PM ET during normal business days. With extended-hours trading, you can also trade during our extended hours.

How do you know if a stock will go up the next day? ›

After-hours trading activity is a common indicator of the next day's open. Extended-hours trading in stocks takes place on electronic markets known as ECNs before the financial markets open for the day, as well as after they close. Such activity can help investors predict the open market direction.

Who buys stocks after hours? ›

Who Can Trade After Hours? Individual retail investors and institutional investors alike can trade after hours, as long as their brokerage offers it. There aren't any restrictions on who can trade after hours, although retail investors generally weren't able to trade after hours until mid-1999.

What is the 10 30 rule in stocks? ›

One of the popular ones is the 30:30:30:10 rule, where it suggests investing 30% of savings in stocks, 30% in bonds, 30% in real estate, and the remaining 10% in cash or cash equivalents. However, it's essential to understand that this rule is generic and may not be perfect for everyone.

When should you sell stock for profit? ›

Reasons to sell a stock
  • You've found something better. ...
  • You made a mistake. ...
  • The company's business outlook has changed. ...
  • Tax reasons. ...
  • Rebalancing your portfolio. ...
  • Valuation no longer reflects business reality. ...
  • You need the money. ...
  • The stock has gone up.
Mar 8, 2023

How many shares of stock should I own? ›

While it's easy to imagine how diversifying to avoid that risk is smart, there's no hard and fast number of stocks investors should own. Instead, researchers have generally concluded that owning 20 or more stocks is best for reducing the risk one lousy bet swamps a portfolio.

Why do stocks drop on Sunday? ›

However, if you see news on a Sunday night saying that stock futures are down, that's because most futures contracts (including equity futures, but also commodities such as oil and agricultural products and other investments) begin trading Sunday night on the major exchanges.

What is the 3 day rule in stocks? ›

The three-day settlement rule states that a buyer, after purchasing a stock, must send payment to the brokerage firm within three business days after the trade date. The rule also requires the seller to provide the stocks within that time.

Is it better to invest weekly or monthly? ›

When investing over a long period of time, SIP frequency, whether done on a day-to-day, weekly or monthly basis, has little impact on overall returns. Using historical data and analysing some numbers, we can see that sometimes a monthly SIP works well and sometimes a daily or weekly SIP works well.

Which month is worst for stock market? ›

NYSE Composite best and worst months over the last 10 years (2013-2022)
  • Best Months: April, May, July, October, November, and December.
  • Worst Months: January, February, June, August, and September remain weaker periods.
Jun 1, 2023

Do stocks go down on Fridays? ›

Stock prices fall on Mondays, following a rise on the previous trading day (usually Friday). This timing translates to a recurrent low or negative average return from Friday to Monday in the stock market.

Do stocks go down at night? ›

Because relatively few people actually trade after the market closes, orders tend to build up overnight, and in a rising market, that will produce an upward price surge when the market opens. But during extended declines, overnight sell orders may cause prices to plummet when the market opens.

What is the 2 hour trading strategy? ›

The two-hour-a-day trading plan involves executing transactions during the first and last hours of the trading day. Volume tends to jump during these two hours of the day. Setting limit orders allows you to profit from swings during these key trading hours.

What is the best time frame for beginners trading? ›

If you are a seasoned trader, trading within the first 15 minutes might not be as much of a risk. For beginners, it's recommended to wait until 9:30. The reason behind this is simple; in the first few minutes of the market opening, stocks are likely reacting to the previous night's news.

Why do stocks go up after hours? ›

During after-hours trading, there's less of a market for any stock being traded. This can lead to higher price volatility and lower liquidity, which can increase risk.

What days are stocks the highest? ›

With the course of the week, markets usually tend to take an upward trend that peaks on Fridays. This means that it is a good idea to think about shorting stocks on Friday and covering your positions back on Monday when the market gets to lower levels.

Should I check my stocks everyday? ›

The most important thing is not how often you check your stocks. Instead, the important thing is how you react to the moves you're seeing. And checking stocks too often can lead to knee-jerk reactions. Specifically, checking their portfolios too frequently tends to make new investors sell stocks for the wrong reasons.

What will the stock market do in 2023? ›

Looking ahead to second-quarter reports, analysts are calling for S&P 500 earnings to fall 6.4% compared to a year ago. Fortunately, analysts are projecting S&P 500 earnings growth will rebound back into positive territory in the second half of 2023.

Why do stocks go down at the end of the year? ›

This can be because there are fewer traders active in the market (for example over summer holidays) or more traders in the market (for example as companies' and investors' tax years come to an end). This will also affect how volatile share prices are.

Why buy a call instead of stock? ›

Why buy a call option? The biggest advantage of buying a call option is that it magnifies the gains in a stock's price. For a relatively small upfront cost, you can enjoy a stock's gains above the strike price until the option expires. So if you're buying a call, you usually expect the stock to rise before expiration.

How long should you hold an option? ›

We suggest you always buy an option with 30 more days than you expect to be in the trade.

When to buy calls and puts? ›

Bottom Line. Simply put, investors purchase a call option when they anticipate the rise of a stock and sell a put option when they expect the stock price to fall. Using call or put options as an investment strategy is inherently risky and not advised for the average retail investor.

What is the 2 rule in stocks? ›

One popular method is the 2% Rule, which means you never put more than 2% of your account equity at risk (Table 1). For example, if you are trading a $50,000 account, and you choose a risk management stop loss of 2%, you could risk up to $1,000 on any given trade.

What is 15 rule in stock? ›

The rule follows a series of three 15s to help investors get 7-figure returns. As per the rule, if you invest ₹15000 per month for 15 years in a fund scheme that offers a 15% interest annually, you can gather ₹1 crore at the end of tenure.

What is the 7 rule in stocks? ›

To make money in stocks, you must protect the money you have. Live to invest another day by following this simple rule: Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it.

What is the 5 dollar stock rule? ›

According to the SEC, any stock trading under $5 per share whether it is listed on an exchange or trading through pink sheet markets or the Over The Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) is a penny stock.

What is the trading 6% rule? ›

According to FINRA rules, you're considered a pattern day trader if you execute four or more "day trades" within five business days—provided that the number of day trades represents more than 6 percent of your total trades in the margin account for that same five business day period.

What is Marc Chaikin's warning? ›

Marc Chaikin's Prediction and warning for 2023 has been getting a lot of attention lately. He warned 8.4 million Americans to prepare for a historic financial reset on Jan. 2. He told them, "Get your money out of banks… and into a new vehicle 50 years in the making that could massively boost your wealth."

What is the 4% rule stock? ›

How the 4% Rule Works. The 4% rule is easy to follow. In the first year of retirement, you can withdraw up to 4% of your portfolio's value. If you have $1 million saved for retirement, for example, you could spend $40,000 in the first year of retirement following the 4% rule.

What is rule 21 in stock market? ›

The relationship can be referred to as the “Rule of 21,” which says that the sum of the P/E ratio and CPI inflation should equal 21. It's not a perfect relationship, but holds true generally.

What is 90% rule in trading? ›

"90% of Newcomers lose 90% of their capital in first 90 days of trading" Is this Rule applies on you as well ? I don't think there is any such rule. Only part one of the rule- 90% of the newcomer traders lose money, in how many days or how much percentage is difficult to say.

Is stock market open january 2 2023? ›

Below is the schedule for 2023 stock market holidays when the NYSE, Nasdaq and bond markets are closed: Monday, Jan. 2, 2023 — Observance of New Year's Day, which occurs on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Should you ever buy stocks after-hours? ›

There are several potential benefits for after-hours trading: Convenience: Some traders simply can't place trades during the normal session due to their schedules. The after-hours session allows them to check out the current quotes and potentially place a trade at a more convenient time.

What time stocks start and end? ›

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Can you trade stocks over the weekend? ›

Traditionally, the markets are open from 9:30 AM ET-4 PM ET during regular business days (Monday-Friday, except holidays). But with extended-hours trading and the Robinhood 24 Hour Market, you can execute trades from 8 PM ET Sunday until 8 PM ET Friday, with some restrictions.

Will US stock market recover in 2023? ›

Investors should expect the bear market to persist throughout 2023. The Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes should help to stabilize the economy at some point in 2023. This would lead to a potential market recovery.

Is the stock market expected to rebound in 2023? ›

Looking ahead to second-quarter reports, analysts are calling for S&P 500 earnings to fall 6.4% compared to a year ago. Fortunately, analysts are projecting S&P 500 earnings growth will rebound back into positive territory in the second half of 2023.

What is the expected market return for 2023? ›

10% Return for S&P 500 a Real Possibility by End of 2023

And in today's market, with its newfound emphasis on fundamentals, earnings really matter. Short of a recession — a very real possibility — consensus estimates are for about 5% earnings growth for S&P 500 companies in 2023.

Why do stocks drop so much after hours? ›

Why Can Stocks Be So Volatile in After-Hours Trading? Lower trading volume and less liquidity results when fewer traders and investors are in the market. This causes wider bid-ask spreads and, in turn, greater stock price volatility.

Why do stocks always go up after hours? ›

This is due to investor activity in the after-hours trading market. Price changes that occur after-hours work in the same way as a price change that occurs during market hours. This means that a price change occurring at any time can affect the market and send investors clamoring to buy or sell specific stocks.

How long should you stay in a stock? ›

Though there is no ideal time for holding stock, you should stay invested for at least 1-1.5 years. If you see the stock price of your share booming, you will have the question of how long do you have to hold stock? Remember, if it is zooming today, what will be its price after ten years?

What day is best to sell stocks? ›

Best day of the week to sell stock: Friday

Stock markets tend to rally on Friday due to short covering by traders to avoid paying interest on a short position over the weekend, as well as on any optimism traders might have for market-positive news during the weekend.

What is the best day to buy stocks? ›

Best day of the week to buy stocks. Mondays and Fridays can be slightly more volatile for buying and selling stocks than in the middle of the week. On Mondays, markets can be affected by news from the weekend.

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