Regular trading hours for US stock markets

The US stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. These times apply to the three major exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the NASDAQ, and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). If you are on the West Coast, that is 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Central Time is 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The market does not open on weekends or on federal holidays. When a federal holiday falls on a weekday, the market closes entirely — it does not open early or stay open late to make up the time. The market also closes on the day after Thanksgiving, even though that is not a federal holiday.

These hours have been the standard since 1985. Before that, the market opened at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The change was made to overlap more with European market hours and to give traders on the West Coast a longer window to trade before the close.

Key Takeaways

  • Regular trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday only.
  • The market is closed on all federal holidays and the day after Thanksgiving, with no makeup trading hours.
  • Extended hours trading (pre-market and after-hours) exists but has lower volume, wider spreads, and different rules than regular trading.
  • Time zones matter: West Coast traders see 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific, and Central Time is 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Pre-market trading before 9:30 a.m.

Some brokers allow trading before the official open, usually starting at 4:00 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, depending on the broker. This is called pre-market trading. Volume is much lower than during regular hours, so bid-ask spreads (the gap between what buyers offer and what sellers ask) are wider. A stock might trade at $50.00 during regular hours but have a spread of $49.80 to $50.30 in pre-market.

Not all stocks can be traded pre-market. Your broker sets which securities are available. Orders placed in pre-market do not automatically carry over into regular trading — if your order does not fill before 9:30 a.m., you have to decide whether to cancel it or let it continue into the regular session.

Pre-market trading is useful if you want to react to overnight news from overseas markets or earnings announcements released before the open, but the thinner volume means large orders can move prices sharply and your order might not fill at the price you expected.

After-hours trading from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

After the market closes at 4:00 p.m., most brokers offer after-hours trading until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Like pre-market, this session has lower volume and wider spreads. Many stocks do not trade at all after hours, especially smaller or less liquid ones.

After-hours orders are subject to the same rules as regular trading — you cannot use certain order types, and your broker may charge higher commissions or fees. Some brokers do not offer after-hours trading to retail investors at all, or they limit it to certain account types.

After-hours trading is often used by institutional investors and traders reacting to earnings reports released after 4:00 p.m. Retail investors can participate, but the risk of slippage (getting a worse price than expected) is higher because there are fewer buyers and sellers.

Market holidays and closures

The US stock market is closed on the following days each year: 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. It also closes the day after Thanksgiving.

When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the market is closed on the nearest weekday instead. For example, if Christmas falls on a Saturday, the market closes on Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, the market closes on Monday.

On some holidays, the market opens at its regular time but closes early — this happens on the day before Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas (if that day is a weekday). On those days, the market closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time instead of 4:00 p.m. Your broker should notify you of early closes, but you can also check the NYSE or NASDAQ website for the official holiday calendar each year.

International stock markets have different hours

If you trade stocks on other exchanges, hours are completely different. 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.

These markets do not overlap with US hours, which is why traders who want exposure to multiple markets often use after-hours or pre-market sessions. Some US brokers offer access to foreign exchanges, but not all do, and commissions and spreads are often higher.

How to learn about the market is open today

The simplest way to check is to visit the NYSE or NASDAQ website directly — both publish their holiday calendar and any schedule changes at the start of each year. Your broker's website or app usually displays the market status in real time, showing whether trading is open, closed, or in pre-market or after-hours mode.

If you are unsure whether a specific day is a trading day, search "[date] stock market open" or check your broker's calendar. Many brokers send email notifications when the market will close early or be closed entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade stocks at 8:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.?

It depends on your broker. Most brokers offer pre-market trading starting at 7:00 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and after-hours trading until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Not all brokers offer both, and not all stocks trade during these extended hours. Check your broker's website to see what extended hours they support.

What happens if I place an order after 4:00 p.m.?

If you place an order after 4:00 p.m. during a regular trading day, it will either be held for the next trading day's open or routed to after-hours trading, depending on your broker's settings. Check your order confirmation to see which session it was sent to. If it is set for the next day's open, it will execute at 9:30 a.m. or shortly after, not at the price you see now.

Does the market close early on any regular weekdays?

Yes. The market closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day before Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas (if that is a weekday). Your broker should alert you, but you can confirm by checking the NYSE or NASDAQ holiday calendar.

What if a holiday falls on a weekend?

The market observes the holiday on the nearest weekday. If Independence Day falls on a Saturday, the market closes on Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, the market closes on Monday. The NYSE and NASDAQ publish their full holiday schedule each January.