If you’re investing in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, or bonds, you’ll run into the question of when, exactly, you can buy and sell securities. When is the stock market open? What are the stock market’s regular trading hours? Can you buy stock after hours? This guide will cover all the facts you need about stock market hours and when you can trade securities.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- The stock market and the bond market
- North American stock market hours
- International stock market hours
- Stock market holidays
- Bond market hours and holidays
- Trading outside stock market hours
The stock market and the bond market
First, a quick primer. The stock market is a broad term for the series of stock exchanges where stocks are bought and sold, including those based in the U.S and international exchanges. Investors access these marketplaces through a brokerage and can trade stocks during trading hours. Shares of mutual funds and ETFs are also traded on the stock market.
The bond market is similar to the stock market: investors can purchase bonds through a brokerage during the market’s hours. One key difference between stocks and bonds is that individual investors can also purchase some government bonds directly from the U.S. Treasury instead of going through the bond market.
Standard stock market hours for North American Exchanges
The largest exchanges in the United States are the Nasdaq Stock Market Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The other two major North American stock exchanges are the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV). The Nasdaq, NYSE, and TSX exchanges all operate on Eastern Time, and the BMV operates on Central Time; be sure to adjust the listed stock market hours for your local time zone when determining when you can make trades.
All four exchanges are typically open Monday to Friday and closed on weekends, with the following regular market hours:
- New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Nasdaq Stock Exchange: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX): 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV): 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central Time
Tip: While most trading of stocks and ETFs occurs throughout the day during stock market hours, trades of mutual fund shares are only executed at the end of each business day.
Trading halts
In rare circumstances, U.S. markets might suspend trading during stock market hours if there are extreme decreases in stock prices. This is known as a market-wide circuit breaker, and it’s intended to subdue panic in the market and prevent a further selloff. The stock market might also temporarily halt trading in reaction to major destabilizing events such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
International stock market hours
There are roughly 60 major stock exchanges worldwide, all featuring different trading hours. Investors planning to trade on international markets will want to take a look at each exchange’s local hours. Luckily, many regions sync their stock market hours for more efficient trading and liquidity. Most of the world’s stock exchanges are open during regular business hours in their local time zone; a few of them close during lunchtime.
Here are the regular stock market hours for a few major international exchanges (listed in Eastern Time):
- London Stock Exchange (LSE): 3:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
- Euronext Paris (EPA): 3:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
- Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE): 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time
- Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE): 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG): 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time
If you’re trading on other international stock exchanges, you should be able to find the trading hours on the specific exchange’s website.
Stock market holidays
U.S stock exchanges close in observance of certain national and religious holidays. When a holiday lands on a weekend, it will usually be recognized with a stock market closure on the following Monday. On stock market holidays, investors cannot buy or sell shares of companies listed on the stock exchange.
Note that these holidays aren’t always the same as those observed by U.S. government offices, and international exchanges have different closures based on local holiday observances.
Stock market holiday | Stock market closure date |
New Year’s Day | Monday, January 1 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 15 |
Presidents’ Day | Monday, February 19 |
Good Friday | Friday, March 29 |
Memorial Day | Monday, May 27 |
Juneteenth National Independence Day | Wednesday, June 19 |
Independence Day | Thursday, July 4 |
Labor Day | Monday, September 2 |
Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 28 |
Christmas Day | Wednesday, December 25 |
Stock market early closures
The U.S. stock market also closes early on the day before or after certain holidays. On these early-close days, trading hours end at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time for U.S. stock exchanges.
Early closure day | Stock market early closure (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time) |
---|---|
Day before Independence Day | Wednesday, July 3 |
Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) | Friday, November 29 |
Christmas Eve | Tuesday, December 24 |
Bond market hours and holidays
The U.S. bond market is open slightly longer than the stock market, with regular hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The bond market observes the same holidays as the stock market, as well as two additional holidays.
Bond market holiday | Bond market closure date |
---|---|
New Year’s Day | Monday, January 1 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 15 |
Presidents’ Day | Monday, February 19 |
Good Friday | Friday, March 29 |
Memorial Day | Monday, May 27 |
Juneteenth National Independence Day | Wednesday, June 19 |
Independence Day | Thursday, July 4 |
Labor Day | Monday, September 2 |
Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) | Monday, October 14 |
Veterans Day | Monday, November 11 |
Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 28 |
Christmas Day | Wednesday, December 25 |
Just like the stock market, the bond market closes early, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on the day before or after certain holidays.
Early closure day | Bond market early closure (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time) |
---|---|
Day before Good Friday | Thursday, March 28 |
Friday before Memorial Day | Friday, May 24 |
Day before Independence Day | Wednesday, July 3 |
Black Friday (day before Thanksgiving) | Friday, November 29 |
Christmas Eve | Tuesday, December 24 |
New Year’s Eve | Tuesday, December 31 |
Pre-market and after-hours trading
While most everyday investors stick to regular stock market hours for trading, it is possible to buy stock after hours or before markets open through electronic communications networks (ECNs). Some online brokers provide access to extended-hours trading through these networks. For the NYSE and Nasdaq, the extended market hours are:
- Pre-market trading: 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time
- After-hours trading: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
However, before deciding to trade before or after the market opens, keep in mind that buying stock outside of regular stock market hours comes with higher risk. Markets experience greater volatility during these times; there is less liquidity, and there are fewer investors trading, so prices can move much more dramatically.
What stock market hours mean for you
When you decide to buy or sell securities, you’ll place the order through your brokerage, which purchases the assets on your behalf. The brokerage will execute your buy or sell order during regular stock market hours; some brokerages execute trades only within specific trading windows during the day. If you use an online brokerage, you can generally place a buy or sell order at any time, even after hours, and the brokerage will execute it during the next trading window when the stock market is open.
Among the many questions to ask yourself before you trade stock is “What time does the share market open and close today?” By making trades during stock market hours, you can ensure you’re making your investment decisions based on the most up-to-date information about share prices and market conditions.
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