When the Stock Market Opens and Closes

U.S. stock markets close at 4 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ, where most U.S. stocks trade, both close at 4 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday. They open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. These times do not change for daylight saving time — the market simply shifts with the time zone change.

Markets are closed on weekends and on 11 federal holidays each year. The major closures are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Markets also close early — at 1 p.m. Eastern — on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve if it falls on a weekday.

If you live outside the Eastern time zone, you need to convert. Pacific time is three hours behind, so the market closes at 1 p.m. Pacific. Central time is one hour behind Eastern, so it closes at 3 p.m. Central. Mountain time is two hours behind, so it closes at 2 p.m. Mountain.

Key Takeaways

• U.S. stock markets open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
• Markets are closed on weekends and 11 federal holidays, including New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
• You can place orders before and after regular hours through extended-hours trading, though prices may be wider and less liquid.
• The market closes early at 1 p.m. Eastern on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve if it falls on a weekday.

What happens if you try to trade after 4 p.m.

If you place a stock order after 4 p.m. Eastern, it will not execute during regular trading hours. Most brokers hold the order and send it to the market when it opens the next day at 9:30 a.m. — unless you specify otherwise.

Some brokers offer extended-hours trading, which lets you buy and sell before 9:30 a.m. (pre-market) and after 4 p.m. (after-hours). Pre-market trading typically runs from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern. After-hours trading typically runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, though this varies by broker. During these windows, fewer traders are active, so prices can swing more sharply and it may be harder to sell at the price you want. Bid-ask spreads — the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers ask — widen during extended hours.

Why markets close at 4 p.m. and not later

The 4 p.m. close is a historical convention that has stuck because it works for the institutions that dominate trading. When the NYSE was founded in 1792, trading happened in person on the street, and 4 p.m. was when traders went home. The time persisted through the telegraph era, the telephone era, and into electronic trading.

Today, 4 p.m. Eastern is 9 p.m. in London and 10 p.m. in Frankfurt — times when European markets are closed or closing. This overlap window lets U.S. and European traders settle positions before the next day begins. Extending U.S. hours would complicate that coordination and would require brokers and exchanges to staff trading floors longer.

International stock markets have different hours

If you own stocks in other countries, those markets close at different times. The London Stock Exchange closes at 4:30 p.m. London time (11:30 a.m. Eastern during standard time, 10:30 a.m. during daylight saving). The Tokyo Stock Exchange closes at 3 p.m. Japan time (1 a.m. Eastern). The Frankfurt Stock Exchange closes at 5:30 p.m. Frankfurt time (11:30 a.m. Eastern during standard time).

If you hold international stocks through a U.S. broker, you can usually place orders anytime, but they will execute during that country's market hours. Some U.S. brokers also offer direct access to foreign exchanges, which requires a separate account and may have higher minimums.

How to know if the market is open today

Your broker's website or app will show you whether the market is open. Most display a banner or indicator on the home page. You can also check the NYSE or NASDAQ websites directly — both publish their holiday calendar and daily status.

If you are unsure whether a day is a trading day, a quick search for "stock market closed today" or "NYSE holiday calendar" will tell you. Many financial news sites also display a countdown to market open or a note if the market is closed.

What "market close" means for your orders

When you place a market order during trading hours, it executes immediately at the best available price. When you place a market order after 4 p.m., most brokers convert it to a limit order or hold it for the next open. Check your broker's rules — some will execute your order in after-hours trading if you explicitly request it, while others will wait until 9:30 a.m.

If you place a limit order (an order to buy or sell only at a specific price or better) after 4 p.m., it typically sits in the queue and enters the market at 9:30 a.m. the next day. If the stock gaps past your limit price overnight, your order will not fill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade stocks on Saturday or Sunday?

No. U.S. stock markets do not trade on weekends. If you place an order on Saturday or Sunday, it will be held and sent to the market when it opens Monday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. Some brokers offer cryptocurrency or forex trading on weekends, but traditional stocks do not trade outside regular market hours.

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

The market closes at 1 p.m. Eastern on the day after Thanksgiving (the Friday after the holiday). On Thanksgiving Day itself, the market is closed entirely. The day before Thanksgiving is a regular trading day with normal 4 p.m. close.

If I place an order at 3:59 p.m., will it execute today?

If you place a market order at 3:59 p.m. Eastern, it will likely execute before 4 p.m., but it is not may provide. Orders placed in the final seconds can be rejected if the market closes before they reach the exchange. To be safe, place orders at least a few minutes before 4 p.m. if you want them to execute that day.

Do I need to do anything special to trade in after-hours?

Most brokers allow after-hours trading without special setup, but you may need to enable it in your account settings. Check your broker's website for their after-hours policy — some charge extra fees, some restrict which stocks you can trade, and some require a minimum account balance. Not all brokers offer it.