Stock market hours depend on which market and which day

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ — the two largest U.S. stock markets — are open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. They are closed on weekends and on specific holidays set by the exchange each year.

Outside those hours, trading still happens on what is called the after-hours market, but with far fewer buyers and sellers, wider price swings, and higher risk. Most individual investors do not trade after-hours unless they have a specific reason.

If you hold stocks or mutual funds, price changes during market hours are what move your account value. Outside those hours, your positions are frozen at the last closing price.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern and close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
  • The market is closed on weekends and on federal holidays plus a few market-specific holidays like Thanksgiving Day.
  • After-hours trading exists from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern, but involves fewer traders and wider price swings.
  • Pre-market trading runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern, and is also thin and volatile.

Holiday closures and early closings

The NYSE and NASDAQ close completely on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. On these days, no trading happens at all, even after-hours.

On the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve, both exchanges close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern instead of the normal 4:00 p.m. This is a partial trading day, not a full closure.

The exact dates shift each year because some holidays fall on different days of the week. The NYSE publishes its full holiday calendar on its website each year, and most brokerages display it as well.

Before and after regular trading hours

Pre-market trading runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern. After-hours trading runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Not all brokerages offer both, and not all stocks can be traded during these windows.

Pre-market and after-hours markets have much lower volume — fewer shares change hands — so bid-ask spreads (the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers want) are wider. A stock might jump or drop sharply on thin volume, then move back when regular trading opens. News released after 4:00 p.m. often does not move a stock's price until the next morning's open.

If you place an order during pre-market or after-hours, it may not fill at all, or may fill at a price far from what you expected. Most brokerages warn you about this risk before you place the order.

What happens at market open and close

At 9:30 a.m. Eastern, the opening bell rings and the market begins. The first few minutes are often volatile because overnight news, pre-market orders, and international market moves all hit at once. Prices can swing sharply in the first 15 minutes.

At 4:00 p.m. Eastern, the closing bell rings and regular trading stops. The last price at which a stock trades becomes its closing price for the day. This closing price is what you see reported in the news and what your brokerage uses to calculate your account value at the end of the day.

The final hour of trading (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) is often busier than the middle of the day because traders close positions before the close and rebalance their portfolios.

International stock markets operate on different schedules

If you own stocks in other countries, those markets open and close at different times. The London Stock Exchange opens at 8:00 a.m. GMT and closes at 4:30 p.m. GMT. The Tokyo Stock Exchange opens at 9:00 a.m. JST and closes at 3:00 p.m. JST. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 a.m. HKT and closes at 4:00 p.m. HKT.

Because of time zones, when the U.S. market is open, most Asian markets are closed, and when the U.S. market is closed, European markets are often open. This means global news can move prices in one market before another market opens to react.

How to check if the market is open right now

Your brokerage website or app will show you whether the market is currently open. Most display a banner or label saying "Market Open" or "Market Closed" and show you the current time in Eastern Time.

Financial news sites like Yahoo Finance, CNBC, and MarketWatch also display market status prominently. The NYSE and NASDAQ websites themselves publish their calendars and current status.

If you are unsure whether a specific day is a trading day, check the exchange's holiday calendar before you plan to trade. Trying to place an order on a closed day will fail, and you may not realize it until the next business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade stocks on Saturday or Sunday?

No. The NYSE and NASDAQ do not open on weekends. Some brokerages offer after-hours trading on Friday evening, but regular weekend trading does not exist. Your orders will not fill until the market reopens Monday morning.

What time does the market open on the West Coast?

The market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, which is 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The closing time is 4:00 p.m. Eastern, or 1:00 p.m. Pacific. Times are always listed in Eastern because that is where the NYSE is located.

Do mutual funds trade during after-hours?

No. Mutual funds are priced once per day at the market close (4:00 p.m. Eastern) and can only be bought or sold at that closing price. You cannot trade mutual funds before-market or after-hours, even if your brokerage offers those windows for stocks.

What happens to my stock price if I hold it overnight?

Your stock's price is frozen at the closing price until the market opens the next trading day. If news breaks after 4:00 p.m., the price will not change until the next morning's open. You will see the new price reflected in your account at that time.

Is the market open on Election Day?

Yes. Election Day is not a market holiday. The NYSE and NASDAQ remain open on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, just like any other Tuesday.