What Time Does the US Stock Market Open and Close?

Knowing exactly what time the US stock market opens is more important than it looks on the surface. It affects your fills, your spreads, and even how much sleep you get if you trade from outside the US.

Here is a clear, beginner friendly guide to US stock market opening hours, including pre market, after hours, time zone examples, and how apps like Gotrade fit in.

What Time Does The US Stock Market Open?

The two main US stock exchanges are:

• New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
• Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq)

Both share the same regular trading hours:

9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday to Friday, excluding market holidays.

This regular session is where most trading volume and the tightest spreads usually appear.

If you buy or sell US stocks, ETFs or many listed products, your orders are normally executed during this 9:30 to 4:00 ET window.

Pre Market And After Hours Trading

Trading is not limited to the regular session. Both NYSE and Nasdaq support extended hours sessions around the core day.

For Nasdaq, a typical schedule looks like:

• Pre market (opening session): roughly 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET
• Regular session: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
• After hours (extended session): roughly 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

Extended hours let you react to:

• Earnings announcements released before the open or after the close
• Economic data
• Company news or global events

However, there are trade offs in pre market and after hours:

• Lower trading volume
• Wider bid ask spreads
• Bigger price gaps when large orders hit a thin order book

For most new investors, it is usually safer to focus on the regular 9:30 to 4:00 session where liquidity is deepest.

US Market Opening Time In Different Time Zones

US market hours are published in Eastern Time. If you live elsewhere, you need to convert.

Below is a simple guide using the regular session of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Times can shift by one hour during US daylight saving, so always double check in your local calendar.

Typical local times when New York is on Eastern Time (ET):

• New York (ET): 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• London (UK): 2:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Central Europe (Paris, Berlin): 3:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
• Dubai: 6:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
• Singapore / Hong Kong: 10:30 p.m. - 5:00 a.m.
• Jakarta: 9:30 p.m. - 4:00 a.m.
• Sydney: 12:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. (next day)

If you are based in Asia or Australia, that usually means trading US stocks at night or in the early morning.

Many long term investors in those regions simply place orders in advance instead of watching every tick live.

How To Check If The US Market Is Open Today

Even on weekdays, US markets are closed for several public holidays each year, such as New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and others.

To avoid confusion:

• Check the official NYSE or Nasdaq holiday calendar on their websites
• Look at the trading status inside your broker or investing app
• Remember that some holidays use shortened sessions, for example closing at 1:00 p.m. ET

If your order is placed when the market is closed, it is usually queued and sent to the exchange when the next session begins.

Conclusion

If you invest from outside the US, keeping track of 9:30 a.m. ET can feel awkward. That is where a mobile first app helps.

With an app like Gotrade, you can:

• See US stock and ETF prices in your local time
• Place orders while you are awake and let them execute when the market opens
• Build a long term portfolio in US markets from as little as 1 US dollar in fractional shares
• Offer pre market trading before 9:30 a.m. ET and after hours trading after 4:00 p.m. ET, meaning you can trade 24 hours.

You still need to respect US trading hours, but the app handles the time zone complexity in the background so you can focus more on your plan and less on the clock.

FAQ

1. What time does the US stock market open and close?
   Regular trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, for both NYSE and Nasdaq, excluding market holidays.
2. Can I trade US stocks outside regular hours?
   Yes. Gotrade offer pre market trading before 9:30 a.m. ET and after hours trading after 4:00 p.m. ET.
3. Are US stock markets open on weekends?
   No. US stock exchanges are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and also on specific US public holidays each year.

Reference:

• Nasdaq, Holidays & Trading Hours, 2026.
• Capital, Understanding world stock market trading hours, 2026.

Disclaimer:
Gotrade is the trading name of Gotrade Securities Inc., which is registered with and supervised by the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA). This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research (DYOR) before investing.