When the Stock Market Opens and Closes: Trading Hours You Need to Know
The stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on weekdays
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ, where most U.S. stocks trade, both open their regular trading session at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This is true Monday through Friday, except on days when the market is closed for a holiday.
If you are on the West Coast, that means the market opens at 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time. If you are in the Central Time Zone, it opens at 8:30 a.m. Central Time. The closing time shifts the same way — 1:00 p.m. Pacific, 2:00 p.m. Central.
These hours apply whether you are buying stocks directly through a brokerage, trading through an ETF, or watching a mutual fund that holds stocks. The prices you see for stocks during these hours are live prices. Outside these hours, prices do not update in the same way.
Key Takeaways
- Regular stock market trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays only.
- Pre-market trading begins as early as 4:00 a.m. Eastern and after-hours trading runs until 8:00 p.m. Eastern, but with lower volume and wider price swings.
- The market is closed on weekends and on 11 federal holidays each year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Mutual funds and ETFs that hold stocks settle their prices once per day at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, regardless of when you place your order.
Pre-market and after-hours trading windows
Trading does not stop exactly at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Before the official open at 9:30 a.m., some brokerages allow pre-market trading as early as 4:00 a.m. Eastern. After the close at 4:00 p.m., after-hours trading continues until 8:00 p.m. Eastern on most brokerages.
Pre-market and after-hours trading exist, but they work differently from regular hours. The volume of shares trading is much lower, so prices can swing more dramatically on smaller trades. Bid-ask spreads — the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers will accept — are wider. If you place an order during these times, there is no may provide it will fill at the price you see.
Most individual investors do not trade during these windows. They are used mainly by institutional traders and people responding to news that breaks outside regular hours. If you are new to investing, focus on placing orders during the 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. window when volume is high and prices are most reliable.
Market closures and holiday schedules
The stock market closes on all weekends and on 11 federal holidays each year. The holidays that shut down the market are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market is closed on Friday instead. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the market is closed on Monday instead. The NYSE and NASDAQ publish their full holiday calendar each year on their websites.
On days when the market is closed, you cannot place orders that will execute during regular trading hours. You can still place orders through your brokerage, but they will sit in a queue and execute when the market opens the next trading day — usually at the open or shortly after, depending on the order type you chose.
How market hours affect mutual funds and ETFs
If you own a mutual fund, the price you get depends on when you place your order, not on what time of day it is. All mutual fund orders placed before 4:00 p.m. Eastern — whether you place them at 9:00 a.m. or 3:59 p.m. — settle at the same price: the fund's Net Asset Value (NAV) calculated at 4:00 p.m. Eastern that day. Orders placed after 4:00 p.m. settle at the next day's 4:00 p.m. NAV.
ETFs work differently. Because they trade on an exchange like stocks, their prices update throughout the day during regular market hours. You can buy or sell an ETF at any time between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern and get a live price. If you place an order outside these hours, it will wait until the market opens.
This distinction matters if you are trying to time a purchase or sale. With a mutual fund, the time of day does not matter — you always get the 4:00 p.m. price. With an ETF, the time of day does matter, because the price changes throughout the trading day.
International stock markets have different hours
If you own stocks or ETFs that track markets outside the United States, those markets open and close on their own schedules. 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 Frankfurt Stock Exchange opens at 8:00 a.m. CET and closes at 10:00 p.m. CET.
You can buy U.S.-listed ETFs that hold international stocks during U.S. market hours — 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern — even though the underlying stocks in those ETFs are trading on their home exchanges at different times. The ETF price reflects the most recent prices of the stocks it holds, updated throughout the U.S. trading day.
If you want to trade stocks directly on a foreign exchange, you will need a brokerage that offers international trading, and you will need to place your order during that exchange's local hours. Most individual investors do not do this and instead use U.S.-listed ETFs or mutual funds to gain exposure to international markets.
What happens at market open and close
The first few minutes after 9:30 a.m. Eastern are often the busiest and most volatile. Traders are reacting to news that broke overnight or before the open, and large orders from institutions can move prices quickly. If you are placing an order right at the open, be aware that the price you see may not be the price you get.
The last hour before 4:00 p.m. Eastern also sees higher volume as traders close positions before the day ends. Some investors intentionally avoid placing large orders during these peak times because the price movement can work against them.
The period from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern is often calmer, with more stable prices and tighter bid-ask spreads. If you are new to investing and want to place an order with less price volatility, this window is usually a better choice than the open or close.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I place a stock order on a weekend?
Yes, you can place an order through your brokerage on a weekend, but it will not execute until the market opens on Monday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. The order sits in a queue and fills based on the order type you chose — market orders fill at the open, limit orders fill only if the price reaches your limit.
What time should I place my order to get the best price?
There is no single best time. The market is most volatile at the open and close, so prices can move quickly. The mid-day hours are usually calmer. For most individual investors, the specific time matters less than having a clear reason for buying or selling and sticking to it.
Do mutual funds trade during after-hours?
No. Mutual funds price once per day at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, and all orders placed that day settle at that price. You cannot buy or sell a mutual fund during after-hours trading. ETFs, which trade like stocks, can be bought and sold during after-hours on most brokerages, but with lower volume and wider spreads.
What happens to my order if I place it right before the market closes?
If you place a market order in the last few seconds before 4:00 p.m., it will execute during the final moments of trading at whatever price the market is at. If you place a limit order, it will execute only if the price reaches your limit before 4:00 p.m. If it does not fill by the close, it carries over to the next trading day unless you set it to expire at the end of the day.
Does the stock market ever open early or close late?
No. The regular trading session always runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern. In rare cases of extreme market events, regulators have halted trading temporarily, but they have not extended regular hours. Pre-market and after-hours trading windows exist, but they are separate from the official session.