When does the market open? It's a simple question, but the answer is becoming more and more complex. For purposes of our discussion, all times are Eastern unless otherwise noted.
Regular trading hours for the U.S. stock market, which includes the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), are 9:30 am to 4 pm, except on stock market holidays.
Regular trading hours for the U.S. bond market are 8 am to 5 pm. The bond market observes 10 stock market holidays plus two more, Columbus Day and Veterans Day.
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There are also several early closure days, such as the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), which typically fall on either side of other holidays. On these days the U.S. stock market usually closes at 1 pm, the bond market at 2 pm.
What are pre-market, after-hours and overnight trading?
Trading also happens outside of these regular stock market trading hours. On days with a regular session, for instance, there are "pre-market" and "after-hours" trading sessions. Some brokerages are now offering "overnight" trading too.
Pre-market trading happens before the market opens. Hours may vary among brokerage firms, but pre-market trading can begin as early as 4 am and run until the opening bell rings at 9:30 am.
After-hours trading starts when the closing bell rings and typically runs from 4 pm to 8 pm.
Pre-market and after-hours trading are performed on "electronic communications networks," or ECNs, and directly pair buyers and sellers rather than using a middleman. This kind of trading used to be available only to large institutional investors.
Online brokers and trading platforms such as Fidelity and Charles Schwab facilitate it for individual investors too.
Overnight trading is the latest response by online platforms to ever-increasing demand, with some brokerages offering investors the opportunity to trade 24 hours a day.
Interactive Brokers supports trading of U.S. stocks and ETFs from 8 pm to 3:50 am, with the first session beginning on Sunday at 8 pm and the last session ending on Friday at 3:50 am. Robinhood Markets clients can trade select stocks and ETFs 24 hours a day, five days a week, from Sunday at 8 pm through Friday at 8 pm.
Charles Schwab has expanded its 24-hour trading platform to include all stocks listed on major U.S. indexes as well as hundreds of ETFs. Webull recently opened its 24-hour platform to U.S. users, and Firstrade plans to launch its overnight trading system in 2025.
In October, the New York Stock Exchange announced a plan to allow trading on its all-electronic exchange 22 hours a day. Pending regulatory approval, extended trading on the NYSE's Arca platform would take place from 1:30 am to 11:30 pm.
Many brokers limit the types of transactions that can occur in pre-market, after-hours and overnight trading, so you'll want to check with your individual broker to see what they support.
Should I buy and sell stocks in pre-market, after-hours and overnight trading?
Just because you can trade outside of regular stock market trading hours doesn't necessarily mean you should.
You must be aware of the risks associated with extended trading, including the fact that volume tends to be lower in pre-market and after-hours trading.
"Besides low volume, there is also limited liquidity during extended hours, which can lead to increased volatility, larger spreads, and greater price uncertainty," Toronto-Dominion Bank explains in a post.
TD also notes that earning reports are typically announced after regular trading hours, "which can lead to major price swings."
When can I trade cryptocurrencies?
The digital currencies market is an easy schedule to remember. Cryptocurrencies trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From bitcoin to the smallest altcoin, if you have an itch, you can scratch it whenever you'd like.
That said, not all brokerage firms offer access to cryptocurrencies, so you'll want to check with yours to see if they allow buying and selling of digital assets – or find a centralized crypto exchange like Coinbase Global (COIN).
Bitcoin ETFs, cryptocurrency funds, spot bitcoin ETFs and ether ETFs can be traded during regular stock market trading hours.
When does the market open for commodities trading?
Futures trading on commodities such as oil, gold and wheat can be done nearly as often as cryptocurrencies. However, hours vary by exchange.
For instance, commodities trade electronically from 6 pm Sunday to 5 pm Friday on CME Group exchanges. But regular trading hours at the competing Intercontinental Exchange run from 8 pm Sunday to 6 pm Friday.
You can buy and sell shares in commodity ETFs and energy ETFs during regular trading hours.
When does the market open on the weekends?
While some minor exchanges and select futures markets operate during the weekend, there are no regular trading hours for stocks on Saturdays or Sundays.
If you do see news on a Sunday night indicating that stock futures are down, that's because most futures contracts (including equity futures but also commodities such as oil and agricultural products and other investments) begin trading Sunday night on the major exchanges.
When does the market open for international stocks?
If you're looking to trade global markets and international stocks in real time, you'll need to grab an evening pot of coffee first, depending on what country you're following.
Here are the trading times for some of the largest global stock exchanges. All times represent regular trading hours Monday through Friday and are listed in Eastern time.
- Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX): 9:30 am to 4 pm
- Mexico Stock Exchange (BMV): 9:30 am to 4 pm
- London Stock Exchange (LSE): 3 am to 11:30 am
- Euronext Paris (EPA): 3 am to 11:30 am
- Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA): 3 am to 11 am
- Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE): 8 pm to 10:30 pm, 11:30 pm to 2 am
- Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE): 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm, 1 am to 3 am
- Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE): 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm, 1 am to 3 am
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG): 9:30 pm to 12 am, 1 am to 4 am
On the other hand, investors can trade American depositary receipts (ADRs) – foreign companies that trade on domestic stock exchanges – during regular U.S. trading hours.
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