x
Close

Recent Posts

Financial Literacy

Get Ahead of the Game: Stock Market Closing Times for Profitable Trading

Get Ahead of the Game: Stock Market Closing Times for Profitable Trading
ByCorey Mann
  • PublishedApril 14, 2020

What time does the stock market close? This may seem like a simple question, but it’s important for new traders to understand completely. In general, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq are both open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Trading stocks outside of these hours comes with its own set of circumstances. Moreover, there are nine federal holidays in which the market is closed each year.

What time does the stock market close today

What Time Does the Stock Market Close in the United States?

The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq are the two primary stock exchanges in the United States. Both are located in New York City and the NYSE is the world’s largest exchange. The general hours of operation exist between the window mentioned above. However, there are many sessions to consider.

At 6:30 a.m. EST each day, the pre-opening session begins. During this time, you can place orders that enter a queue. These orders remain in that queue until the market opens at 9:30 a.m. EST.

The first trade in the morning creates the opening price for a stock. The final trade at 4 p.m. EST provides the stock’s closing price for the day. Furthermore, any trades made after closing will be placed into a queue until the stock market reopens the following morning.

Specifically, there are nine federal holidays in which the stock market is closed. These are…

  • New Year’s Day on January 1, if the holiday falls on a weekday
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 16
  • Washington’s Birthday/Presidents Day on February 20
  • Good Friday in April
  • Memorial Day on May 30
  • Independence Day on July 4
  • Labor Day on September 5
  • Thanksgiving Day in November
  • Christmas Day on December 25.

If Christmas falls on the weekend, the holiday will be observed on the Friday before or the Monday after. For example, the stock market was not open on Friday, December 24, 2021. And this year, it will not be open on Monday, December 26, 2022.

There are separate stock exchanges outside of the U.S. that run on different schedules. So, what time does the stock market close in other countries?

Stock Market Exchanges Outside the United States

There are various stock exchanges around the world. The Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan is the largest outside the U.S. Other major stock markets include the London Stock Exchange, Euronext, the SIX Swiss Exchange, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange is open from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Japan Standard Time) before closing for lunch. It reopens at 12:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. In addition, the Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed for 22 holidays each year.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange runs on a similar schedule to Tokyo, but it opens 30 minutes later and closes at 4 p.m. (China Standard Time). It also observes 15 holidays in which it’s closed.

Euronext is headquartered in Amsterdam. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. (Central European Time) and is closed for six holidays each year. Euronext also modifies its hours for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. (Central European Time) each day. It is closed for 12 total holidays.

The London Stock Exchange is closed for eight holidays each year. You can place your orders from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Greenwich Mean Time or British Summer Time).

While the markets above are considered some of the largest, you can find exchanges in many other countries. There’s the BSE (formerly the Bombay Stock Exchange) in Mumbai and the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada as well.

Trading During Extended Hours

You can still trade stocks when the market isn’t open. Premarket trading and after-hours trading are always options for investors. These are known as extended markets.

There are three markets where shares can be traded…

  • The premarket trades from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. EST on the Nasdaq and 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. EST on the NYSE.
  • The regular market trades from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST on the Nasdaq and NYSE.
  • The after-hours market trades from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST on the Nasdaq and NYSE.

However, certain brokers have different premarket and after-hours trading time. For example, TD Ameritrade limits pre-market trading between 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Check with your broker to see when you’re eligible to make trades during extended hours.

There are many things to consider while trading during extended hours. For starters, market volatility is usually much higher during these hours. There are a lot less people trading during extended hours than during regular market hours. Consequently, trading volumes and liquidity may be lower than during regular market hours.

There’s also no guarantee that your order will be filled due to lack of liquidity. There may be less trading volume for some stocks. As a result, it could be difficult to execute some of your trades.

It’s important to check directly with international markets for their rules and guidelines on extended-hour trading before making any orders. Buying and selling outside of normal business hours can drastically affect your portfolio.

Now You Know: What Time Does the Stock Market Close?

As you can see, the various stock exchanges open and close at different times. However, there are plenty of investment opportunities no matter where you are.

What time does the stock market close where you live? No matter the time, don’t miss out on the endless opportunities available today. Join us at Investment U and build toward financial freedom in your life.

Written By
Corey Mann

Corey Mann is the Content Manager of Investment U. He has more than 10 years of experience as a journalist and content creator. Since 2012, Corey’s work has been featured in major publications such as The Virginian-Pilot, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and more. When Corey isn’t focusing on Investment U, he enjoys traveling with his wife, going to Yankees games and spending time with his family.

Prev Post

Next Post

29 Comments

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Optimal Asset Allocation: How To Build A Strong Portfolio Using Four Basic Strategies
Financial Literacy
June 6, 2002

Optimal Asset Allocation: How To Build A Strong Portfolio Using Four Basic Strategies

How to Follow the Stock Market… and Get the Big Picture
Financial Literacy
January 14, 2003

How to Follow the Stock Market… and Get the Big Picture

16 Must-Read Investment Books: The Foundation of Your Future Profits
Financial Literacy
April 11, 2003

16 Must-Read Investment Books: The Foundation of Your Future Profits