Fidelity extended hours trading runs from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays when the U.S. stock market is open

Fidelity offers extended hours trading in two windows: pre-market trading from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET, and after-hours trading from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. Both are available on regular trading days — Monday through Friday when U.S. markets are operating. You cannot trade during extended hours on weekends, holidays, or days the market is closed.

Extended hours trading lets you place orders before the regular market opens at 9:30 a.m. or after it closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. This matters because stock prices can move significantly on news released outside regular hours, and extended hours give you a chance to react. However, extended hours trading works differently from regular trading — fewer traders are active, prices can be wider apart, and orders may not fill at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Pre-market trading on Fidelity runs 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET, and after-hours trading runs 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, both on regular weekdays only.
  • You must have a Fidelity brokerage account and meet any account type requirements — some account types restrict extended hours access.
  • Extended hours orders are limit orders only; you cannot place market orders, and prices may be significantly different from regular hours prices.
  • Liquidity is much lower during extended hours, meaning fewer buyers and sellers are active, so your order may not fill even if the price reaches your limit.
  • Extended hours trading carries higher risk because bid-ask spreads are wider, price information is less reliable, and volatility can be extreme.

How to place an extended hours trade on Fidelity

To place a trade during extended hours on Fidelity, log into your account and navigate to the trade ticket for the stock you want to buy or sell. When you enter your order, you will see a dropdown or toggle for order type or session. Select "Extended Hours" or "Pre-Market" or "After-Hours" depending on which window you are trading in. Fidelity will then show you the current bid and ask prices for that extended hours session.

You must enter a limit order — you set the exact price you are willing to pay or accept. Fidelity does not allow market orders during extended hours. Enter your limit price, review the order details, and submit. Your order will sit in the extended hours market until it fills, until the session ends, or until you cancel it. If it does not fill during extended hours, it will not automatically roll into the regular market session unless you set that instruction when you place the order.

Account requirements for extended hours trading

Most Fidelity brokerage accounts can place extended hours orders, but some restrictions apply. If you have a cash account, you can trade during extended hours as long as you have settled cash available — the same cash you would need for a regular hours trade. If you have a margin account, you can use margin buying power during extended hours, but Fidelity may apply stricter margin requirements or restrictions on certain stocks.

Fidelity may restrict extended hours trading on certain account types or for certain customers, particularly if your account is new or has limited trading history. If you are unsure whether your account type allows extended hours trading, check your account settings or contact Fidelity directly. Some stocks are also not available for extended hours trading — typically very low-priced stocks, penny stocks, or stocks with very low volume.

Why prices and liquidity differ during extended hours

During extended hours, far fewer traders are active than during the regular 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. session. This means the bid-ask spread — the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers will accept — is often much wider. A stock that trades with a 1-cent spread during regular hours might have a 10-cent or 20-cent spread during extended hours. This wider spread means you pay more to buy or receive less when you sell.

Lower liquidity also means your order may not fill at all, even if the price moves to your limit. If you place a limit order to buy 100 shares at $50 during after-hours and the stock price reaches $50, there may simply be no seller willing to sell at that price at that moment. Your order sits unfilled until the session ends. This is why extended hours trading is riskier — you have less certainty that your order will execute, and the prices you see may not reflect what the stock will trade for during regular hours.

Price gaps between extended hours and regular market hours

Stock prices can move significantly between the close of regular trading at 4:00 p.m. ET and the open of the next regular session at 9:30 a.m. ET. News, earnings announcements, or market-moving events often happen after hours or overnight. If you buy a stock during after-hours trading at $50, the stock might open the next morning at $45 or $55 depending on overnight news.

This gap risk cuts both ways. You might buy during after-hours at a price that looks good, only to see the stock gap down when regular trading opens. Or you might sell during after-hours at a price that seems reasonable, then watch the stock gap up the next morning. Extended hours trading gives you a chance to react to after-hours news, but it also exposes you to the risk that your trade will be significantly out of the money by the time regular trading begins.

Risks specific to extended hours trading

Extended hours trading carries several risks that regular hours trading does not. Lower volume means wider spreads and less certainty your order will fill. Less price transparency means the bid and ask prices you see may not represent the true market — there may be very few actual trades happening. Higher volatility is common during extended hours because fewer traders are present to stabilize prices, so a single large order can move the price significantly.

You also have less access to research and news during extended hours. Market analysis, earnings call transcripts, and analyst commentary are usually released during or just after regular hours, but the full picture may not be available until regular trading opens. Trading on incomplete information during extended hours can lead to decisions you would not make if you waited for regular hours and had all the facts.

When extended hours trading makes sense

Extended hours trading is most useful if you need to react to news that breaks after the market closes. If a company announces earnings after 4:00 p.m. ET and you want to buy or sell before the next morning's open, after-hours trading lets you do that. Pre-market trading can be useful if you want to place orders before the regular open, particularly if you expect a stock to gap up or down at the open.

Extended hours trading is generally not useful for routine buying and selling. If you are building a long-term position or making a regular trade, waiting for regular hours gives you better prices, more certainty your order will fill, and access to better information. Extended hours trading is a tool for specific situations, not a replacement for regular hours trading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I place a market order during extended hours on Fidelity?

No. Fidelity only accepts limit orders during extended hours trading. You must specify the exact price you are willing to pay or accept. Market orders are not available pre-market or after-hours.

What happens to my extended hours order if it does not fill before the session ends?

Your order will be cancelled at the end of the extended hours session unless you set it to roll into the next regular trading session. When you place the order, you can choose whether to let it carry over or have it expire at the end of extended hours.

Are there stocks I cannot trade during extended hours?

Yes. Fidelity restricts extended hours trading on penny stocks, very low-priced stocks, and stocks with extremely low volume. You will see a message when you try to place an extended hours order on a restricted stock. Most large-cap stocks are available for extended hours trading.

Do I need special permission to trade during extended hours?

Most Fidelity brokerage accounts have extended hours trading available by default. Some newer accounts or accounts with limited trading history may have restrictions. Check your account settings or contact Fidelity to confirm your account is enabled for extended hours trading.

Why is the price so different during extended hours compared to regular hours?

Lower trading volume during extended hours means wider bid-ask spreads and less price stability. A stock might trade at $50 during regular hours but show a bid of $49.80 and an ask of $50.30 during after-hours because fewer traders are active and price discovery is less efficient.