Stock FAQs

how does the stock market fluctuate after hours

by Dr. Karley Donnelly Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

The same things that move stock prices during regular hours also move them after hours – supply and demand. If big news about a company breaks, that will affect the price in after-hours trading, and the price will rise or fall depending on the news.

Typically, price changes in the after-hours market have the same effect on a stock that changes in the regular market do: A $1 increase in the after-hours market is the same as a $1 increase in the regular market.

Full Answer

How often do stock prices fluctuate?

Jan 31, 2022 · During after-hours and premarket trading, stock prices change for multiple factors. Company-specific factors, such as earnings announcements, can affect prices, as …

Why do Stocks go up after market hours in USA?

Dec 21, 2017 · After-hours trading takes place after the markets have closed. Post-market trading usually takes place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time (ET), while the premarket trading session ends at 9:30 a.m ...

Why does the stock market close at 4pm?

Dec 10, 2021 · Typical after-hours trading hours in the U.S. are between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Trading outside of normal hours used to be limited to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals, but ...

Why do stock prices not change after market trading ends?

After hours trading takes place after the stock market closes. For example, in the US, the stock market closes by 4 pm. That's when after hours trading starts, and it can run till 8pm. Trading during this is conducted through electronic communication networks (ECNs).

image

Why do stock prices close after hours?

During after-hours and premarket trading, stock prices change for multiple factors. Company-specific factors, such as earnings announcements, can affect prices, as can global developments. Global news tends to have a more pronounced effect in premarket trading, reflecting Asian and European markets.

How after-hours trading differs from normal trading

Trades after hours are completed through electronic communication networks, without the involvement of an exchange. Also, after hours, you can't place market orders (the market isn't open), just limit orders. In the latter, you specify the price at which you want a trade to be executed.

After-hours trading is riskier

In general, after-hours trading is riskier than normal trading. As there are fewer market participants in after-hours and premarket trading, stock prices can be more volatile.

Robinhood provides after-hours trading

Robinhood offers users after-hours and premarket trading, though for shorter windows. The app allows after-hours trading from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, and premarket trading for only 30 minutes before markets open.

What time does post market trading end?

Post-market trading usually takes place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time (ET), while the premarket trading session ends at 9:30 a.m. ET.

What happens to stock after hours?

During after-hours trading, there may be less trading volume for your stock, and it may be harder to convert shares to cash. Wide spreads : As noted above, a lower volume in trading may result in a wide spread between the bid and ask prices.

Why is the volume of after hours trading thin?

The trading volume during the after-hours trading session tends to be fairly thin. That's because there are usually very few active traders during this time period. This can change, though, with volume spiking if there's big economic news or something breaks about a company.

What is the main trading session?

For most stock markets, the main trading session takes place during the daytime, where one trading session represents a single day of business. The beginning of the session is marked by the opening bell, which signals that the market is open. Similarly, the trading day ends with the closing bell. Most trading takes place during this time of day.

Why do we do after hours trading?

After-hours trading allows investors to react immediately to breaking news and is much more convenient.

Why do we trade after the market closes?

Trading on fresh information: Being able to trade after the normal markets close allows you to react quickly to breaking news stories or fresh information before the next day’s market open.

Which brokers offer after hours trading?

In fact, a number of brokers now offer after-hours trading, including Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and TD Ameritrade. 5 6 7

Why is premarket trading so lucrative?

The reason premarket trading can be lucrative is not just because earnings reports also come out before the open, as there is often other big market-moving news too . For example, Murphy noted that the Labor Department's monthly jobs report comes out at 8:30 a.m., typically on the first Friday of the month.

What is after hours trading?

After hours trading is a key weapon in the sophisticated stock market investor's armory. It makes up one part of the extended hours equation, along with premarket trading.

What time does Wells Fargo trade after hours?

The specific rules on after hours trading can differ from brokerage to brokerage. Many brokers let customers trade from 4 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET, however there are exceptions. One such example is Wells Fargo, which offers extended hours from 4:05 p.m. ET until 5 p.m. ET.

What time does the stock market close?

The stock market opens at 9.30 a.m. ET, and closes at 4 p.m. ET.

Why do we trade after hours?

On the one hand, it allows you to trade on news events before many other investors. However, there are increased risks as the volume of shares traded is much lower.

Can you buy stock after hours?

Orders executed during an after hours session are considered to have been executed during the day's traditional session for settlement and clearing purposes. This can be an important for dividend investors when buying a stock on the ex-dividend date. If you buy on or after the ex-dividend-date in regular trading, after hours trading or premarket trading, you do not qualify for the dividend. However if you buy the day before, even in after hours trading, you still qualify.

When does the Labor Department report come out?

For example, Murphy noted that the Labor Department's monthly jobs report comes out at 8:30 a.m., typically on the first Friday of the month.

What is liquidity risk?

Liquidity risk: Not only are you limited to the ECN your broker uses, there are fewer market participants in after-hours sessions. As a result, there's limited liquidity for most stocks. That creates wider bid-ask spreads and increased risk that your order won't get executed. Volatility: When everyone's trying to react to a news item all at once, ...

What time does the stock market close?

Normal stock market trading hours for the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq are from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. However, depending on your brokerage, you may still be able to buy and sell stocks after the market closes in a process known as after-hours trading.

How to trade after hours?

To execute an after-hours trade, you log in to your brokerage account and select the stock you want to buy. You then place a limit order similar to how you'd place a limit order during a normal trading session. Your broker may charge extra fees for after-hours trading, but many don't, so be sure to check. Your broker then sends your order ...

How does ECN work?

The ECN attempts to match your order to a corresponding buy or sell order on the network. So if you put in an order to buy 100 shares of XYZ for $50 each, the ECN will look for an order to sell at least 100 shares for $50. If it can match your order, the trade is executed, and settlement times are the same as during regular sessions.

Why do stocks trade wildly?

Volatility: When everyone's trying to react to a news item all at once , a stock will trade wildly in the after-hours session as the market works to digest the news and discover a new price for the security. That can make it difficult for an average investor to judge whether or not their limit order will have a good chance of execution.

What is after hours trading?

Typical after-hours trading hours in the U.S. are between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Trading outside of normal hours used to be limited to institutional investors ...

Is after hours trading possible?

The bottom line is that after-hours trading is possible and can help you react to earnings reports and other news that takes place outside of normal market hours. However, each brokerage is a little different, so be sure to do your homework before getting started. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

How do stock prices affect demand?

Because the stock market functions as an auction, when there are more buyers than there are sellers, the price has to adapt , or no trades will be made . This situation tends to drive the price upwards, increasing the market quotation at which investors can sell their shares and enticing investors to sell when they had previously not been interested in selling. On the other hand, when sellers outnumber buyers, and there is less demand, whoever is willing to take the lowest bid sets the price, resulting in a race to the bottom.

How does investing style affect stock price?

Investing style can vary widely and affect the sale of stock. For example, suppose a particular company issues a poor earnings report. Some holders of that company's stock may panic, selling their shares and driving the price down as supply exceeds demand. On the other hand, some investors may see the bad news as temporary and thus spot an opportunity to scoop up shares at a discount until the value of the stock rises again.

What is the stock market?

The stock market is essentially an auction in which buyers and sellers negotiate prices for shares of ownership in publicly traded companies. Traders on the stock market can be individuals, governments, corporations, institutions, or asset management companies.

How does supply affect stock prices?

Because the stock market functions as an auction, when there are more buyers than there are sellers, the price has to adapt or no trades are made. This tends to drive the price upwards, increasing the market quotation at which investors can sell their shares and enticing investors to sell who had previously not been interested in selling.

How often do stocks change?

When many people refer to a stock's price, they're referring to the price of the latest transaction. Therefore, the price changes whenever a new transaction occurs, unless that transaction is for the same price as the previous transaction. Major stocks like Apple trade millions of times every day, and the stock price could change with each of these transactions. Thinly traded penny stocks may only trade a few thousand times per day, and that means the price changes less often.

Why is my stock price going up?

Increased trading could be caused by an earnings report that shows good or bad financial news. It may be a major financial news event, such as an interest rate hike, or it could even be a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, that is likely to have far-reaching consequences. Any of these events could trigger a reaction in the market, causing investors to rush to sell or to buy. 2 These reactions could be based on emotion, or could they could be the result of a calculated decision, but either way, they can affect the price of the stock.

What is a stock speculator?

Speculators—tho se who buy and sell not based on a company's intrinsic value, but on some other metric—can drive stock prices to extremes. Contrast them with investors, who care only to purchase stock at a discount from its worth, with the confidence it will grow in value over time.

What is after hours trading?

After-hours stock trading can be an excellent way to get into or out of the market, especially on widely followed stocks. With extended-hours trading — which includes trading in the morning before the market opens — you can place trades before most of the market is ready to act.

What is extended hours stock trading?

Extended-hours stock trading is just one more way that you can trade stocks online. Stocks on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq are available for trade in extended hours, but only the largest and most in-demand stocks regularly trade during these periods.

What time does stock trading take place?

Stock trading in the U.S. normally takes place during the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Anything outside those times is considered extended hours and includes these periods:

Can you transact at any price?

But don’t be surprised if nothing happens for a while, or ever. With fewer investors participating in the extended session and the lack of market makers to ensure liquid markets, you’ll have to find an investor who’s willing to transact at your price. That may not happen, even at any price.

Can you trade after the market opens?

Not only can investors trade after the regular session, but they can also place trades for the pre-market before the market opens in the morning. So some brokers refer to trading outside the regular hours as “extended-hours trading” or similar to include both the extra morning and evening sessions.

Can you sell stock after hours?

But be careful, the market’s lack of liquidity may suggest a stock will continue to sell off in normal hours when, in fact, it’s primed to go up instead. So you may end up selling on what looks like a bad report, but it turns out to be a head fake after-hours, leaving you in the dust.

Is extended hours market liquid?

Illiquid market. The extended-hours market is much less liquid than the normal market, meaning you may not be able to sell at a price you want. Market makers won’t ensure a liquid, orderly market, and fewer investors show up. Only a few shares may trade, even on the big, otherwise-liquid stocks. Or if you do trade, you may end up selling at a much lower price or buying at a much higher price than you’d want.

Why do stocks move when the market is closed?

Many stocks even move when the market is closed, as traders revalue what a stock is worth to them and transact on that figure , which is why some days stocks open with a gap higher or lower, and it can be significant. Stock prices constantly change based on the laws of supply and demand.

How does Dow Jones Industrial Average work?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is the simple arithmetic average of the price of 30 stocks divided by the “Dow divisor” which is adjusted from time to time when components change or there is some stock split. Since Dow Jones publishes the divisor, just about anyone can calculate the value on their own.

Why was the pre opening session introduced?

The concept of the pre-opening session was introduced to reduce volatility during opening.

What time is the DJIA open?

What is open are futures on the DJIA which trade from 6:00pm Sunday through 5pm Friday with daily breaks from 4:15–4:30pm and 5:00–6:00pm. When the exchanges are open the fluctuations in the futures generally track with the fluctuations in the index.

What happens to stock price after hours?

If big news about a company breaks, that will affect the price in after-hours trading, and the price will rise or fall depending on the news.

Why does the price fluctuate during the day?

During a day, price fluctuates relatively smoothly because people respond to changing environment of business instantly. Next day morning, you got to re-asses valuation of a company based on news that affects it or the sector. Got to price-in all the news and changes that happened from evening 3:30 to morning 9:15.

What time does the stock market open in the USA?

The official market hours in USA is 9.30 AM to 4 PM. But trading also happens prior (pre market) and after official hours (after hour trading) , even though the volume is relatively less. The stock prices in these hours are mostly driven by earning announcements, macro economic events etc.

Why is weekend trading so volatile?

Risks of Weekend Trading. Because trading volume on the weekends is much lower, stock prices become more volatile. News events can drive a stock quickly in an unexpected direction. In addition, the "spread" between the buy – or ask – price and the sell – or bid – price is much greater.

What time does the NYSE open?

Each of these operations has limited trading hours; in the case of the NYSE, the market floor is open for business from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. five days a week.

When did after hours trading start?

A system of after-hours trading arose in the 1990s for those who wished to buy and sell stocks outside of regular market hours. Stock traders can now buy and sell stocks on the weekends through electronic communications networks, to which traditional and online brokerages have access.

What is limit order?

For that reason, most individual traders use limit orders, in which they set a specific price at which the trade must be executed. If there is no price match, there is no trade. For weekend traders, placing a "market order" to buy shares at the best available price is risky, with a strong possibility that their orders fill at an unexpected price.

What time does the French stock market open?

Thus, the French stock market is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. , the Australian market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m,. and the Hong Kong market from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a one-hour halt for lunch.

Where are the stock exchanges located?

All exchanges had a physical location -- in the case of the New York Stock Exchange, the lower Manhattan area of New York City . Physical exchanges still exist in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and other major financial centers.

Is the stock market open on weekends?

While the physical stock market is not open on weekends, it is possible to trade after hours through online platforms as well as trade on Sunday evenings for international markets in certain time zones.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9