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Market Hours

In short

Regular trading hours and pre/post-market sessions for US equities

US stock markets are open Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET. There's also pre-market (4 AM – 9:30 AM) and after-hours (4 PM – 8 PM) trading, but with much less volume and wider spreads.

Regular US equity market hours: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET. Extended hours (pre-market and after-hours) have lower liquidity and wider spreads. Major news (earnings, economic data) often releases outside regular hours, causing extended-hours volatility.

Related concepts

  • Extended Hours Trading — Extended hours lets you trade before and after the regular session. But there are far fewer buyers and sellers, so prices can swing wildly. Limit orders only — market orders are typically not allowed in extended hours.
  • Bid-Ask Spread — The bid is what buyers will pay; the ask is what sellers want. If the bid is $99.95 and the ask is $100.05, the spread is $0.10. Every time you trade, you pay this spread as a hidden transaction cost.
  • Limit Order — A limit order says 'buy this stock, but only if the price drops to $50 or less.' You control the price but risk not getting filled if the stock never hits your target.
  • Time in Force — Time in force tells the broker how long to keep trying. 'Day' means cancel at market close if unfilled. 'GTC' (Good Till Cancelled) stays open indefinitely. 'IOC' (Immediate or Cancel) fills what it can right now and cancels the rest.