Stock Market Hours: What Time Does Each Market Open and Close?

Knowing stock market trading hours is essential if you'll be investing in trading regularly. You can fulfill your orders faster, and you benefit from real-time market data that affects your portfolio. Trading outside market hours comes with risks, even during extended trading hours. For example, volume tends to be lower in premarket and after-hours trading. However, before the market opens, skilled traders can also make trades on new news releases or other company information that can affect valuation. Below, you'll find stock market hours for major markets. 

Major Stock Markets and Their Hours

Most of the world’s stock exchanges are open during regular business hours, in local time. So Australia's or China's markets would have normal business hours for their countries, but the middle of the night for the US. These markets present additional opportunities for traders who prefer to work at night. 

Unless otherwise noted, trades entered with an online brokerage when the exchange is closed are executed at the open on all major exchanges. Here is an overview of the major stock markets and their trading hours converted to Eastern Standard Time (EST). 

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, plus premarket and after-hours trading

Trading in North America is usually based on the Eastern time zone, regardless of the exchange's location. In the case of the NYSE, regular trading hours are Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can participate in premarket or after-hours trading. Premarket trading, before the market opens, varies by brokerage firms but can start as early as 4 a.m. EST and continue until 9:30 a.m. 

Aftermarket hours start at 4 p.m. and can run as late as 8 p.m. ET. Premarket and aftermarket hours typically have low volume and limited liquidity, which can lead to larger spreads, greater price uncertainty, and volatility, which can present skilled investors with additional opportunities. 

Nasdaq

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, plus premarket and after-hours trading

Like the NYSE, NASDAQ's regular trading hours are Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Premarket hours can start as early as 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. EST, and aftermarket hours can extend from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

London Stock Exchange (LSE)

3 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST

London's time zone, Greenwich Mean Time, is five hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. That means that in London, regular trading hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Converted to EST, the London Stock Exchange's regular trading hours are from 3 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Many U.S. investors trade on the London Stock Exchange for exposure to international markets. 

Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)

8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST

Tokyo, Japan, is 13 hours ahead of New York, USA. Additionally, the Tokyo Stock Exchange has an hourlong break in the middle of the day. The Tokyo Stock Exchange is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Japan Standard Time. You can trade Japanese stocks and other stocks listed on the TSE.

Those hours are 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST. Because of the time difference, U.S. traders could participate in the TSE in the evening U.S. time from Sunday evening to Thursday evening or early Friday morning.   

Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX)

9:30 p.m. to noon and 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. EST

Hong Kong is 12 hours ahead of New York, USA. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX)'s continuous trading session goes from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on each trading day. That is 9:30 p.m. to noon, 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. EST, Sunday through Thursday (or Friday morning). 

Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE)

9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. to 2:57 a.m. EST

Shanghai, China, is also 12 hours ahead of New York, USA. The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) has one of the shortest trading hours and is closed for an hour for lunch each day. 

The Shanghai Stock Exchange is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 2:57 p.m. China Standard Time. That is a total of three hours and 57 minutes of trading hours, five days per week. 

That means the SSE is open from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. to 2:57 a.m. EST, from Sunday night to Monday morning in Shanghai through Thursday night (Friday in Shanghai). 

Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)

8 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST

Sydney, Australia, is 14 hours ahead of New York, USA. You can trade Australian stocks for companies listed on the ASX during regular trading hours. The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) market is open for normal trading from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sydney time on business days. That is 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, EST. 

Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST

The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is open during regular North American business hours, from Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. You can trade Canadian stocks and other companies listed on the TSE during the opening or extended trading hours. You can make after-hours trades on the TSX from Monday to Friday from 4:15 to 5 p.m. ET. 

Understanding Time Zones and Market Overlaps

The major time zones relevant to stock markets start from Sydney, 14 hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast time. Traders who want to invest in several major markets could start their trading week from 8 p.m. Sunday night and end their trading week with aftermarket hours on Friday night with the U.S. markets. 

Here's a summary of the market trading hours by major exchange, converted to EST:

• New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Nasdaq: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Mexico Stock Exchange (BMV): 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX): 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• London Stock Exchange (LSE): 3 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Euronext Paris (EPA): 3 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA): 3 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE): 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE): 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., 1 a.m. to 2:57 a.m.
• Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG): 9:30 p.m. to noon, 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.
• Australian Securities Exchange (ASX): 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. 

The Australian Securities Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Shanghai Stock Exchange, and Hong Kong Stock Exchange have a significant overlap. Likewise, the major European exchanges overlap with the U.S. exchanges, affecting early trading hours in North America. 

Multiple markets open can equal greater trading volume and lower volatility, while fewer markets will typically increase trading volume and can lead to additional volatility. 

Any time there are overlapping market hours, you can expect an impact on trading volume and volatility as more stock brokers, investors, and brokerages are involved in the trading action. 

Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading

The trading session is when the main trades occur or the official market hours are listed for the major exchanges above. Premarket trading is before a trading session opens, often up to 4.5 hours before official trading starts, such as on the NYSE. 

After-hours trading occurs after the main session closes and can last as little as 45 minutes on the Toronto Stock Exchange or up to four hours on the NYSE.

Trading during after-hours and premarket hours, also called extended-hours trading, offers convenience and opportunity. However, it comes with the risks of low liquidity, wide bid-ask spreads, and order restrictions.

Like most current investment actions, premarket and after-hours trading happens through electronic communication networks (ECNs), and the internet has made it easier for markets to offer extended hours. However, extended trading hours can carry the risk of illiquidity and price volatility due to the low volume or lack of participants. 

Market Holidays and Shortened Trading Days

Market holidays can lead to closed markets or shortened trading days. In most major markets, the holidays or shortened days are related to the country's bank holidays or other official government holidays.

For example, the NYSE observes all standard U.S. holidays, including:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Washington's Birthday
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth National Independence Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Hong Kong typically observes the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day 
• First three days of the Lunar New Year
• Ching Ming Festival (April 4 )
• Labor Day (May 1): 
• The Birthday of the Buddha (May 15)
• Tuen Ng Festival (June 10)
• Establishment of the Hong Kong SAR (July 1)
• The day following the Chinese Mid-autumn Festival (Sept. 18)
• National Day (Oct. 1)
• Chung Yeung Festival (Oct. 11)
• Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas (Dec. 22 or 25)
• The first weekday after Christmas (Dec. 26)

Other major markets follow the holiday schedules of their respective cultures.

Strategies for Trading Across Different Markets

If you want to trade across multiple time zones, the foundation remains an understanding of the markets, the companies, their governance, and the larger cultural influences. For that reason, it's essential to stay informed about global market news and events

You can also consider looking for market overlap times for strategic trading opportunities. To keep track of various time zones, you can use the Time and Date meeting planner or set alarms in your preferred calendar app for various market opening hours. 

Rather than attempting to start trading on all the international exchanges at once, focus on understanding a single exchange and get comfortable with the trading hours and market patterns before expanding to other exchanges.

To diversify your portfolio into international markets more quickly, consider international exchange traded funds (ETFs), global mutual funds, global depository receipts (GDRs), or even investing in American multinational corporations with significant international revenue. 

Tools and Resources for Keeping Track of Market Hours

Tools and apps for tracking global market hours start with basic calendars or scheduling apps such as Google Calendar, World Time Buddy, Calendly, Time And Date As, Time Converter, Slack, World Clock, Doodle, and Every Time Zone. 

These apps allow you to check the current time in various saved time zones. You can also set alarms for various major markets' opening or closing times.

Additionally, consider portfolio trackers that track your investments across major exchanges. These include Delta Investment Tracker, SigFig Wealth Management, Empower, Sharesight, and Yahoo! Finance. They are designed to keep track of your market shares but can give you a comprehensive overview of your total investments. 

The simplest way to keep track of market holidays or short trading days for a particular exchange is to Google the holidays for that country. You can also import those holidays into your preferred calendar app with alerts. Or, several websites provide holiday data for all major exchanges such as tradinghours.com. 

Frequently Asked Questions