The US stock market (NYSE and Nasdaq) opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, except on market holidays. Many brokers also offer pre-market trading from as early as 4:00 a.m. ET and after-hours trading until 8:00 p.m. ET, with thinner liquidity. On early-close days the market shuts at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Market hours sound like trivia until you place an order at 9:25 a.m. and wonder why it didn't fill, or plan a trade on a day the market is shut. Here's the complete timetable, in your time zone, with the holidays for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027.
Regular US trading hours
| Time zone | Open | Close |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET), New York | 9:30 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| Central (CT), Chicago | 8:30 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Mountain (MT), Denver | 7:30 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| Pacific (PT), Los Angeles | 6:30 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| UK (London) | 2:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
| Central Europe (Frankfurt, Paris) | 3:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
The US and Europe switch between daylight and standard time on different dates in March and in October/November. For a week or two each spring and autumn, the gap between New York and London is four hours instead of five. Put the market in your calendar in Eastern Time and let the calendar convert.
Extended hours: pre-market and after-hours
| Session | Hours (ET) | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-market | 4:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Earnings and news reactions, gappers; start time depends on broker |
| Regular | 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Full liquidity; opening and closing auctions |
| After-hours | 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Earnings released after the close; thin volume |
| Overnight | Varies | Some brokers route to overnight venues for select stocks and ETFs |
Extended sessions have wider spreads, lower volume and bigger price jumps. Most brokers only accept limit orders outside regular hours, and stop orders often don't trigger. Our guide to pre-market and after-hours trading covers the tactics.
Exchanges are moving toward near-24-hour weekday trading. Nasdaq has targeted a 23-hour, five-day schedule starting in December 2026, subject to final approvals and the market data infrastructure being ready. Read 24-Hour Stock Trading: What Changes for Retail for what that means in practice.
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Volume in US stocks follows a "smile": heavy at the open, quieter midday, heavy again into the close.
- 9:30–10:30 a.m. ET: the day's biggest moves and the most day-trading setups. The opening auction sets the first price, and overnight news gets priced in.
- 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. ET: often slow and choppy. Many experienced day traders stop here.
- 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET ("power hour"): volume returns, and index funds and institutions trade into the closing auction.
US stock market holidays: rest of 2026
The NYSE and Nasdaq follow the same holiday calendar.
| Date | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, November 26, 2026 | Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Friday, November 27, 2026 | Day after Thanksgiving | Early close, 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, December 24, 2026 | Christmas Eve | Early close, 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Friday, December 25, 2026 | Christmas | Closed |
US stock market holidays: 2027
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday, January 1 | New Year's Day |
| Monday, January 18 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| Monday, February 15 | Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) |
| Friday, March 26 | Good Friday |
| Monday, May 31 | Memorial Day |
| Friday, June 18 | Juneteenth (observed) |
| Monday, July 5 | Independence Day (observed) |
| Monday, September 6 | Labor Day |
| Thursday, November 25 | Thanksgiving |
| Friday, December 24 | Christmas (observed) |
Early close in 2027: Friday, November 26 (1:00 p.m. ET). Source: NYSE Group holiday calendar. The bond market follows a separate (SIFMA) schedule and often closes early the day before a holiday.
Other major markets
| Market | Local hours | In ET (usual) |
|---|---|---|
| London Stock Exchange | 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. UK | 3:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. |
| Xetra (Frankfurt) | 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CET | 3:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. |
| Euronext (Paris, Amsterdam) | 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CET | 3:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. |
| Tokyo Stock Exchange | 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. JST (lunch break) | 8:00 p.m. – 2:30 a.m. (previous day) |
| ASX (Sydney) | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. AEST | Evening ET, varies with daylight saving |
The Tokyo Stock Exchange extended its close from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. in November 2024. European exchanges run opening and closing auctions like US exchanges.
Futures, forex and crypto hours
- CME equity index futures (ES, NQ, YM, RTY): nearly 24 hours, Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. ET, with a daily one-hour break from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET. See What Is Futures Trading?
- Forex: 24 hours, Sunday evening to Friday evening ET. See What Is Forex Trading?
- Crypto: 24/7, including weekends and holidays.
Index futures trade when the stock market is closed, which is why "stock futures are down" headlines appear overnight. They're the best early read on how the open will look.
Practical tips
- Don't market-order at 9:30:00. Spreads can be wide in the first seconds. Many traders wait for the opening auction to print, or use limit orders.
- Know your broker's extended-hours rules. Order types, start times and eligible stocks vary.
- Check the calendar before holidays. Volume is usually thin on the day before and the half-day after Thanksgiving, which can produce erratic moves.
- Log time of day with every trade. Many traders discover they make money in the first hour and give it back after lunch. TRADZY's time-of-day analytics show that pattern automatically.
FAQ
Is the stock market open on weekends?
No. The NYSE and Nasdaq are closed Saturday and Sunday. Index futures reopen Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET, and crypto trades all weekend.
What time does pre-market trading start?
Pre-market sessions can start as early as 4:00 a.m. ET, but it depends on your broker. Some start at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. ET.
Is the stock market open on Good Friday?
No. Good Friday is an NYSE and Nasdaq holiday, even though it isn't a federal holiday. In 2027 it falls on March 26.
What time does the stock market close on Christmas Eve?
When Christmas Eve is a trading day, US stocks usually close early at 1:00 p.m. ET, as on December 24, 2026. In 2027, Christmas is observed on Friday, December 24, so the market is closed.
Why does the market open at 9:30 a.m.?
It's convention. The NYSE moved to a 9:30 a.m. open in 1985 to give traders time to process overnight news. The time has stayed because the whole market ecosystem is built around it.
Put This Into Practice
- Score your next setup 0–100 with the Void Engine before entering
- Log the trade and tag the setup in the TradLog
- Review weekly: keep what pays, cut what doesn't
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Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss.