U.S. stock market hours

The main U.S. stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ — open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. These are the official market hours when most trading happens and when stock prices move based on buy and sell orders from investors and traders.

The market does not open on weekends or on federal holidays. When a holiday falls on a weekday, the exchanges close for that day. If you try to place a trade outside these hours, your order will not execute until the market opens again.

Time zones matter if you live outside the Eastern Time zone. If you are in Pacific Time, the market opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m. your local time. If you are in Central Time, it opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 3:00 p.m. your local time.

Key Takeaways

  • The NYSE and NASDAQ open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays only.
  • Trading outside these hours — called after-hours trading — happens on some brokerages but at lower volume and with wider price swings.
  • The market is closed on weekends and federal holidays, so orders placed then will wait until the next trading day.
  • Your local time zone affects when you need to be ready to trade, so convert Eastern Time to your own zone before market open.

After-hours trading and pre-market sessions

Some brokerages let you trade before 9:30 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. These sessions are called pre-market trading (typically 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern) and after-hours trading (typically 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern). The exact times depend on your brokerage.

Trading outside regular hours carries real risks. Fewer buyers and sellers are active, so the price gap between what someone will pay and what someone will sell for — called the spread — widens. Your order may take longer to fill, or may fill at a price far from what you expected. News released after the close can cause sharp price moves before the regular market opens the next day.

Not all stocks can be traded during these sessions. Smaller or less-traded stocks may have no buyers or sellers available. Check with your brokerage about which stocks they allow in pre-market and after-hours windows, and understand their rules before you trade.

How to find the exact open time in your time zone

The simplest approach is to subtract or add hours from 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Eastern Time is three hours ahead of Pacific, one hour ahead of Central, and one hour ahead of Mountain. If you live in a state that does not observe daylight saving time — Hawaii, most of Arizona, or U.S. territories — the offset stays the same year-round.

Your brokerage website or app will also display market hours in your local time zone. Most brokerages show a countdown timer or a status indicator (open, closed, pre-market, after-hours) on their trading platform. If you are unsure, check your brokerage's help section or call their customer service line.

What happens on market holidays

The U.S. stock market closes on the following federal holidays: 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 regular trading takes place, and most after-hours sessions are also closed.

The day after Thanksgiving (called the day after Thanksgiving) is a half-day for the stock market. The NYSE and NASDAQ close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time instead of 4:00 p.m. Pre-market trading may still happen, but after-hours trading is typically closed.

If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the market does not observe it on a different day — it simply remains closed on the weekend. Check your brokerage's holiday calendar at the start of each year to plan around closures.

Why market hours matter for your trades

If you place a market order — an order to buy or sell at the current price — during regular hours, it will fill almost immediately at or near the price you see on your screen. If you place the same order after hours or before the open, it may not fill until the regular session begins, and the price could be very different by then.

Limit orders — orders to buy at a specific price or below, or sell at a specific price or above — work differently. A limit order placed outside market hours will wait in the system and execute if the price reaches your limit during the next regular session. This can protect you from unexpected price moves, but it also means your order might not fill at all if the stock never reaches your price.

News and earnings announcements often come out before the market opens or after it closes. If you want to react to news, you may have to wait for the regular session to open, or use after-hours trading if your brokerage offers it — but understand the risks of wider spreads and lower volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade stocks before 9:30 a.m.?

Some brokerages offer pre-market trading starting as early as 4:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but volume is much lower and prices can move sharply. Not all stocks are available, and your order may not fill. Check your brokerage's rules and understand the risks before trading outside regular hours.

What time does the market close on the day after Thanksgiving?

The NYSE and NASDAQ close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day after Thanksgiving, instead of the usual 4:00 p.m. Pre-market trading may happen, but after-hours trading is typically closed.

If I place an order at 5:00 p.m., when will it execute?

If you place a market order at 5:00 p.m. (after the 4:00 p.m. close), it will wait until the market opens the next trading day at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, then execute at the opening price or shortly after. If you place a limit order, it will wait in the system and execute if the price reaches your limit during the next regular session.

Does the stock market open earlier on any days?

No. The NYSE and NASDAQ open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time every regular trading day. The only exception is the day after Thanksgiving, when the market closes early at 1:00 p.m., not opens early.

What if I live outside the United States?

The market still opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, but you will need to convert that to your local time. If you are in London, that is 2:30 p.m. GMT (or 1:30 p.m. during daylight saving). If you are in Tokyo, it is 10:30 p.m. JST. Use a time zone converter or check your brokerage's website for the exact time in your location.