Do you want to start trading? It is essential to know where and when you can trade your stocks. You want to know: at what time does the stock market open? We’ll show you the stock market hours in different regions and anything else you need to know to trade timely.
Imagine you want to buy stocks, and you place your order. Only to get an error message that you can’t trade outside of stock market trading hours. If you are sure that a stock will make a specific movement, or you want to buy low-cost index funds, you want to buy your stocks ASAP.
Be sure to know what days the stock market you want to trade on is closed to ensure you’re not waiting days before you can buy your stock. I mean, once you’ve decided that you are going to buy a stock, you want to buy it immediately (or is that just me?).
By the way, did you know that there are optimal times to trade on the stock market? Strategic hours during the day where there is more volatility.
Stock market hours provide additional benefits linked to extended hours. You can trade before the market opens or after the market closes.
What Time Does the Stock Market Open?
Stock market hours are different from one region to another. For now, we’ll focus on the world’s leading stock markets in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. For instance, in the US, the most common and widely used stocks are the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ. They are only open on weekdays from Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 4 pm EST.
Other top stock markets globally include the London Stock Exchange in the UK and the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan. These operate based on the local time zones and their customs. Every region in the world is customized using its time zone.
Stock Market Hours in the US
The top American Stock markets are located in New York. The NYSE and the NASDAQ are open on weekdays from 9:30 am to 4 pm EST. They are closed on the following national holidays:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
With the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, the two stock markets also shortened their working hours two days after Thanksgiving plus Christmas Eve.
Stock Market Hours in Canada
The top stock market in Canada is the Toronto Stock Exchange or the TMX. It is established in Toronto and is open from 9:30 am to 4 pm EST on weekdays. There are ten essential holidays in Canada when the stock market doesn’t operate. These include:
New Year’s Day
Family Day
Good Friday
Victoria Day
Canada Day
Civic Holiday
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Boxing Day
There have been changes in the working hours during Christmas Eve.
Stock Market Hours in Europe
There are several big stock markets in Europe, and they all operate on different time schedules. The stock markets include:
1. Euronext
Found in Amsterdam, the Euronext exchange trading hours range from 9 am to 5:40 pm Central European Time (CET). It is closed during the following essential holidays:
New Year’s Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Labor Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
There are some changes in the working hours for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Fun fact: even though Labor Day is not an official day off in the Netherlands, the stock market is closed on that day. Almost all other countries in Europe do have Labor Day as an official day off.
2. SIX Swiss Exchange
The SIX is located in Zurich, and normal market trading hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm CET. The market is closed on the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
The day after New Year’s Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Labor Day
Ascension Day
Whit Monday
Swiss National Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas
Boxing Day
New Year’s Eve
3. London Stock Exchange
Located in London, the London Stock Exchange operates from 8:15 am through 4:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time, referred to as British Summer Time. The stock market closes for the following essential holidays:
New Year’s Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Early May bank holiday
Spring bank holiday
Summer bank holiday
Christmas
Boxing Day
There are changes in the working hours during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Stock Market Hours in Asia
Unlike several Western stock markets listed before, Asia’s stock exchanges are unique and close for lunch, unlike several Western stock markets. Asian stock markets include:
1. Tokyo Stock Exchange
The exchange is based in Tokyo and is open from 9 am to 11:30 am, then 12:30 pm to 3 pm Japan Standard Time (JST). It closes for the following essential holidays in Japan:
New Year’s Day
Market holidays on January 2 and 3
Coming of Age Day
National Foundation Day
Vernal Equinox
Showa Day
Abdication Day
Accession Day, National Holiday
Constitution Memorial Day
Greenery Day
Children’s Day
Marine Day
Mountain Day
Respect for the Aged Day
Autumnal Equinox
Health and Sports Day
Enthronement Ceremony Day
Culture Day
Labor Thanksgiving Day
Market holiday on December 31
2. Shanghai Stock Exchange & Shenzhen Stock Exchange
China has two stock exchanges that are found in Shanghai and Shenzhen (surprise, surprise). They open from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and 1 pm to 3 pm China Standard Time (CST). They both don’t open for the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Five days for the Spring Festival in February
Ching Ming Festival
Labor Day
Tuen Ng Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
Five days for National Days in October
3. Hong Kong Stock Exchange
It is based in Hong Kong, and normal trading hours are from 9:30 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm Hong Kong Time (HKT). They close during the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Three days for the Lunar New Year
Ching Ming Festival
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Labor Day
The Birthday of Buddha
Tuen Ng Festival
Special Administration Region Establishment Day
National Day
Chung Yeung Festival
Christmas and the first weekday after Christmas
4. Bombay Stock Exchange
It is based in Mumbai, and the exchange trading hours range from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm Indian Standard Time. They close during:
Mahashrivati
Holi
Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti
Good Friday
Maharashtra Day
Bakri Id
Independence Day
Ganesh Chaturthi
Muharram
Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
Dussehra, Diwali
Gurunanak Jayanti
Christmas
Image Credit: Vadymvdrobot/DepositPhotos.
Is The Stock Market Open On Weekends?
The stock exchange markets don’t open on weekends. There is no possibility to trade stocks on Saturdays or Sundays even though there is after-hours trading on Friday and pre-market trading on Monday.
Technically, it is possible, but the markets don’t do it. Before the 1950s, the stock market used to be open at the same hours as banks, which means they opened on Saturdays. After that, it changed, and the stock market remained closed on weekends ever since.
What Days Is the Stock Market Closed?
Here is a quick recap of the days of the stock market holidays where the stock market is closed in the US:
New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Martin Luther King’s Day
President’s Day
Good Friday
Sometimes the stock markets close early. It mostly happens a day before a national holiday since the day before the holiday is often slow trade. People are not focused on the stock market but on the festivities that are about to come. That is why exchanges in the US close earlier on these pre-holidays.
A couple of pre-holidays where the stock market closes around 1 pm EST:
Black Friday
Christmas Eve
On July 3
It is best not to trade on these slow days, especially if you’re day trading. Most people involved in day trading find it hard to get good returns on such quiet days. The trading will be very minimal, and the activities on the market will be below average.
What Are The Best Trading Times?
You can also use some specific times when stocks tend to rise. Here is a breakdown of such times:
The best time to trade on the market is during the regular trading hours. The ordinary working hours run from 9:30 am to 4 pm EST. It is critical to make a deal in these hours since it gives you a lot of time to make your purchases and trade. Most people, however, tend to look for specific days and times that are favorable to buy or sell their stocks.
We know that time in the market is better than timing the market, one of the money truths you should know. It means that you need to invest, no matter what the market is doing, to succeed in the long term.
However, there are fluctuations throughout the day that you could use to your advantage if you want to maximize your profits.
You can also use some specific times when stocks tend to move up and down. The following are the times when the stocks are unusually fluctuating:
Opening Hours (9:30 am EST – 10:30 EST)
Trading in stocks is volatile, and the movement is strong during the first hour from opening. There are numerous opportunities, and the market is relatively volatile. It would be best to check what happened the previous evening to see what the stock market is most likely to do.
Most experienced investors make their investments in the opening hours. Be sure to know what you’re doing when you put in a limit order and set the minimum price you want to buy your shares at. If you’re a beginner, be sure to avoid investing biases because they can cost you.
If you are a long-term investor, you can invest at any time without having to consider the time. The time does not matter since the investment is a continuous process, and you will get your compound returns when your stocks grow with the 7% average market return.
Middle Hours (11:30 am EST – 2:00 pm EST)
Most people slow their trades as lunch approaches. People need to eat, including traders and professional investors. It makes the process a bit slow, and there is not as much volatility. Around 11:30 am, the trade volume and the volatility slow down, meaning it can take longer for your order to execute, and there are fewer fluctuations in prices.
Closing Hours (3:00 pm EST – 4:00 pm EST)
It is time for day traders to make their last money. From 3 pm to 4 pm EST, most day traders are active. After a long day of work and focus, it is time to put their knowledge to the test.
The closing hours feel the same way as the opening hours. You will experience big moves and strong trends caused by increased volatility. Here many experienced and professional traders engage in buying and selling stocks more, based on the patterns they saw during the day. These movements can last until the last closing minute.
If you want to know how to maximize your investments even further, be sure to check out what gives more investment return: large-cap, mid-cap, or small-cap stocks?
Image credit: SergeyNivens/DepositPhotos.
What Is Extended Hours Trading?
Extended hours trading is the period when you can make sales before or after the market closes. Extended hours, therefore, involve after-hours and pre-market extended hours. You can do trading in the morning and evening on the weekdays. It means that you can start trading as early as 4 am until as late as 8 pm.
Trading on the weekends is not possible, as exchanges are closed Friday evening until the next Monday. You can start trading Monday morning during the extended hours if you’re eager to make some trades.
Ensure you check on the rules and regulations around the type of exchange you are using concerning extended-hours trading. Every exchange has different rules around extended hours of trading, just as every broker has different rules.
Most brokerages require their customer to agree to use the Electronic Communication Network (ECN), an agreement that you sign to ensure that you know what kinds of risks you are taking. Some brokers also require you to get on a call with a representative to help you understand the extended trading hours’ risks.
Extended trading hours are mostly for professional and experienced investors. Beginners can continue gaining more experience and start it later as they see fit. For most passive investors, trading during extended hours is far from necessary.
What About Trading Stocks Pre-Market?
If you are excited and enthusiastic about a stock, it may be very tempting to trade stocks pre-market. It is not the best idea to trade your investments pre-market. You can make this decision based on your experience and trading expertise, but it would help if you approached the decision with caution.
The risk is high since pre-market trades are very unpredictable, and you have no idea what changes will happen once the market opens. Pre-market also has no guarantee to give you the same results when the market opens again.
The volume of trading stocks is also reduced significantly during this time. It is very challenging to make a sale, and you might end up not selling before the market opens. It would help to wait for the opening hours and invest.
Also, costs are higher when you trade stocks pre-market, so you want to be very sure of your decision before you take it.
What About Trading Stocks After Hours?
You like you can trade stock pre-market, or you can trade stocks in the after-hours. After-hours are the hours after the stock market has closed, where you can still trade if you pay an extra fee. It depends on your broker until what time you can trade. Some set the limit to 6 pm, while others extend it as far as 8 pm.
Want To Start Investing?
If you want to start investing, here are a couple of good options to try:
Conclusion On Stock Market Hours
Stock markets are different from one place to another. Choose the best stock market to ensure you make the best profit and have the best knowledge of the stock market open time. Trade using the above trading hours and achieve your goals in the market without compromise.
Founder of Spark Nomad, Radical FIRE, Journalist
Expertise: Personal finance and travel contentEducation: Bachelor of Economics at Radboud University, Master in Finance at Radboud University, Minor in Economics at Chapman University.Over 200 articles, essays, and short stories published across the web.
Experience: Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform, and Spark Nomad, a travel platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.