If you're a trader or investor, it's important to know and understand what time the stock market opens. If you place a trade outside of stock market hours, your trade will wait in a queue until the start of the next trading session. This can also make a big difference on the prices you'll get for your trade, since news or other events can happen in the interim.
I put together this quick guide to help you understand the time the stock market is open.
U.S. Stock Exchange Opening Times
There are several U.S. stock exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ, the American Stock Exchange, and several others. However, all of these exchanges are synchronized on their opening times, for the most part. If you want to specifically know the next trading session, you can check out this handy website tool: IsTheMarketOpen.com.
New York Stock Exchange Opening Times
- Standard Trading: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. through 4:oo p.m. ET
- After-Hours Trading: Monday through Friday 4:00 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. ET
- Pre-Market Trading: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. ET
NASDAQ Stock Exchange Opening Times
- Standard Trading: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. through 4:oo p.m. ET
- After-Hours Trading: Monday through Friday 4:00 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. ET
- Pre-Market Trading: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. ET
Stock Exchange Holidays
On the following holidays (if they fall during a regular trading session), the U.S. stock exchanges are closed:
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- President's Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
U.S. Stock Exchange Shortened Trading Days
On the following days, the U.S. stock exchanges have shortened trading days and close early:
- Day prior to 4th of July: 9:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. ET
- Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving): 9:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. ET
- Christmas Eve: 9:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. ET
Stock Exchange Circuit Breakers and Trading Stops
When the stock market experiences huge declines, they will suspend trading in what's known as a "circuit breaker". The goal of this is simply to slow things down. Basically, the stock market moves fast; very fast. And as such, in cases of huge events or news, it can move faster than human decision-makers can think.
That's where trading halts, trading stops, and circuit breakers come in. They happen at the following levels, for the following amounts of time:
Level 1: A drop of 7% from the prior day's closing price of the S&P 500 triggers a 15-minute trading halt. Trading is not halted if the drop occurs at or after 3:25 p.m. ET.
Level 2: A drop of 13% triggers a 15-minute halt. Trading is not halted if the drop occurs at or after 3:25 p.m. ET.
Level 3: A drop of 20% triggers a halt for the rest of the trading day, and trading resumes the following day.
World Stock Market Opening Times
Different stock exchanges around the world have different opening and closing times. If you invest in international stocks and mutual funds, it can also be useful to know when other major stock markets are open. Furthermore, international news can easily impact the stock market here in the United States.
Here are the stock market opening times of major stock exchanges in other countries:
Tokyo Stock Exchange Opening Times
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan opens from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time.
They also take a lunch, where trading is suspended, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. local time.
London Stock Exchange Opening Times
The London Stock Exchange in the United Kingdom opens from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time.
Hong Kong Stock Exchange Opening Times
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong opens from 9:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time.
They also take a lunch, where trading is suspended, from noon to 1:00 p.m. local time.
Shanghai Stock Exchange Opening Times
The Shanghai Stock Exchange in China opens from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time.
They also take a lunch break, where trading is suspended, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time.
Toronto Stock Exchange Opening Times
The Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada opens from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time.
Deutsche Börse (German Stock Exchange) Opening Times
The Deutsche Börse in Germany opens from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time.
Australian Stock Exchange (Securities Exchange) Opening Times
The Australian Securities Exchange in Australia opens from 9:50 a.m. to 4:12 p.m. local time.
Bombay Stock Exchange Opening Times
The Bombay Stock Exchange in India opens from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time.
Remember, holidays impacting world stock exchanges are much different than in the United States. And, even when the U.S. stock exchanges are closed, most world exchanges are still trading.
Robert Farrington is America’s Millennial Money Expert® and America’s Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him on the About Page, or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.
He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.
He has been quoted in major publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox, ABC, NBC, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.