The US stock market is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Many stocks can also be bought and sold in extended-hours trading. Pre-market trading is from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., while after-hours trading is from 4:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Stock trading hours are usually noted in Eastern Time because that's the time zone of New York, where Wall Street is.
In other US time zones, the stock market opens at 8:30 a.m. Central Time, 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time and 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
Here's an overview of stock market opening hours in different US time zones:
| Opening Hours | Extended Hours |
|---|
| Eastern Time (EST) | 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | 04:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
| Central Time (CST) | 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | 03:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time (MST) | 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | 02:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time (PST) | 6:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | 01:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Stock market holidays in 2024
On stock market holidays, the main US stock exchanges (NYSE and Nasdaq) close for the entire day.
These are all the planned stock market holidays in 2024:
- New Year's Day: January 1 (Monday)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 15 (Monday)
- Presidents' Day: February 19 (Monday)
- Good Friday: March 29 (Friday)
- Memorial Day: May 27 (Monday)
- Juneteenth National Independence Day: June 19 (Wednesday)
- Independence Day: July 4 (Thursday)
- Labor Day: September 2 (Monday)
- Thanksgiving Day: November 28 (Thursday)
- Christmas Day: December 25 (Wednesday)
In addition, the market will close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 3 (Wednesday), November 29 (Friday) and December 24 (Tuesday).
These holidays are identical for both the NYSE and Nasdaq. However, bond markets may have different holidays and trading hours than stock exchanges.
Worldwide stock market opening hours
Stock markets outside the US have their own opening hours, in their own local times.
All of them are open Monday through Friday, but stock exchanges outside the US can have completely different holidays.
North America
- United States: The main US stock exchanges (NYSE and Nasdaq) are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday through Friday.
- Canada: The Toronto Stock Exchange is also open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, which is the same as Eastern Time.
Asia
- China: The Shanghai Stock Exchange opens at 9:00 a.m. local time and closes at 3:00 p.m. It closes between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for lunch.
- Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m. It is closed for lunch between 12.00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
- Japan: The Tokyo Stock Exchange is open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. but closed for lunch between 11:30 and 12:30 a.m. local time.
- India: The Bombay Stock Exchange is open between 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time. There is no lunch break.
Europe
- United Kingdom: The London Stock Exchange is open between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. local time (GMT).
- Germany: The Deutsche Börse Xetra opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. local time.
- France: Euronext Paris opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. local time.
- Switzerland: The Swiss Exchange opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. local time.
Others
- Australia: The Australian Securities Exchange opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m. local time.
Futures trading hours
Types of securities called futures contracts can be traded almost around the clock Monday through Friday. For example, futures on the Index (called E-mini S&P 500 futures) can be traded from 6:00 p.m. on Sunday to 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
However, there is a break in E-mini futures trading between 4:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. each day.
Other types of futures contracts may have different trading hours, such as commodity and currency futures.
Option trading hours
Most options contracts on US stock exchanges can only be traded between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST, the same as regular trading hours for stocks.
Cryptocurrencies
Most cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are traded around the clock, all year.
The bottom line
Knowing when the market opens and closes is important to know when to place your trades and check your positions.
If you submit an order outside of regular stock market hours, then the order may not get filled until the market opens.
Some brokers allow you to trade during extended hours, but this is not recommended for beginners. That's because there is less liquidity at this time, and your order may not get filled at a good price.
This page was last updated on January 1, 2024.
FAQs
Key Takeaways. Most of the world's stock exchanges are open during regular business hours, in local time. Regular trading hours for the NYSE and Nasdaq are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What time does the stock market open and close for trading? ›
The US stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. ET and closes at 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. It's closed on the weekends. These trading hours—also called a trading session—apply to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq, the 2 main marketplaces where stocks are listed in the US.
What is the timing of stock market open or close? ›
Stock Market Timing Segments: Summary
| Pre-opening session | 9.00 am to 9.15 am |
|---|
| Normal session | 9.15 am to 3.30 pm |
| Closing session | 3.40 pm to 4.00 pm |
The opening period (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time) 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 are the opening hours of the shares market? ›
Normal Trading takes place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sydney time.
What time does the stock market open and close Robinhood? ›
Market hours are 9:30 AM–4 PM ET. Extended hours are 7–9:30 AM ET and 4–8 PM ET.
What are the trading hours for futures? ›
What are the trading hours for futures? Most futures markets are open nearly 24 hours per day, from Sunday evening until Friday afternoon, but some futures products have unique trading hours. But keep in mind that each product has its own unique trading hours. See the trading hours here.
What time is best to stock market? ›
With all these factors taken into consideration, the best time of day to trade is 9:30 to 10:30 am. The stock market opens for trading at 9:15 AM and in the first 15 minutes, the market is still responding to the previous day's news with experienced traders waiting to make their move.
What are the rush hours for the stock market? ›
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…
Should I buy stock after hours or in the morning? ›
“You might get into a stock after hours and benefit from that spike in price, but you're also exposing yourself to risk when the market opens the next morning,” says Campos. If the previous day's good news begins to trend not-so-good the following day, you could be looking at a big dip in price and incur losses.
The 3–5–7 rule in trading is a risk management principle that suggests allocating a certain percentage of your trading capital to different trades based on their risk levels. Here's how it typically works: 3% Rule: This suggests risking no more than 3% of your trading capital on any single trade.
What is the best timeframe for trading? ›
Short-term traders may prefer lower time frames (e.g., 1-hour or 15-minute charts) for quick decisions. Long-term traders may favor higher time frames (e.g., daily or weekly charts) for a broader market perspective. It ultimately depends on the trader's goals and trading style.
What is the 10 am rule in trading? ›
Some traders follow something called the "10 a.m. rule." The stock market opens for trading at 9:30 a.m., and the time between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. often has significant trading volume. Traders that follow the 10 a.m. rule think a stock's price trajectory is relatively set for the day by the end of that half-hour.
What time does the stock market open and close? ›
When does the market open? It's certainly a simple question, but one with more answers than you'd think. The regular trading hours for the U.S. stock market, which includes the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), are 9:30 am to 4 pm, except on stock market holidays.
What time does all stock market open and close? ›
These timings are also the same whether you want to trade on any of the two major stock exchanges in India, namely the BSE and the NSE. The regular market trading hours are from 09:15 AM and close at 03:30 PM. There's a pre-opening session before 09:15 AM and a post-closing session after 03:30 PM.
What are the hours for stock trading? ›
Regular trading hours for the U.S. stock markets are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq. After-hours trading refers to trading in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that occur after the regular market closes.
Can I buy stocks when the market is closed? ›
After-hours trading refers to trading in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that occur after the regular market closes. It allows investors to buy and sell securities outside of normal trading hours for a variety of purposes, including responding to news or data releases that occur after the close.
Can you trade stocks before 7am? ›
When Does the Stock Market Open? U.S. stock market exchanges—particularly the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq—typically open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. Eastern time (ET). However, thanks to pre-market and after-hours trading, investors can buy and sell as early as 4 a.m. ET and as late as 8 p.m. ET.
What hours can you buy and sell stocks? ›
The U.S. stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. However, there are extended trading hours available before and after regular market hours for certain exchanges.
How do people trade after hours? ›
After-hours trading is conducted through electronic communication networks (ECNs). Although there are some key advantages of trading when the market closes, traders should be mindful of all the risks associated with this period.
