
Understanding After-Hours Trading
- The Spark. After-hours trading is something traders or investors can use if news breaks after the close of the stock exchange.
- Volume. The volume for a stock may spike on the initial release of the news but most of the time thins out as the session progresses.
- Price. ...
- Participation. ...
What is the NASDAQ after hours?
There are also pre-market and after hours trading sessions available, also known as Extended Markets. For Nasdaq, pre-market trading hours are 4:00 am to 9:30 am, Eastern Time Zone. After hours runs from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Eastern Time Zone.
What are the NYSE after hours trading?
Worldwide stock market opening hours
- North America. United States: The main US stock exchanges (NYSE and Nasdaq) are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ...
- Asia. China: The Shanghai Stock Exchange opens at 9:00 a.m. local time and closes at 3:00 p.m. ...
- Europe. United Kingdom: The London Stock Exchange is open between 08:00 a.m. ...
- Others. Australia: The Australian Securities Exchange opens at 10:00 a.m. ...
What time does the US stock market open and close?
The US stock market is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Many stocks can also be bought and sold in extended-hours trading. Pre-market trading opens at 4:00 a.m. and after-hours trading closes at 8 p.m. What are the trading hours of the stock market in America?
What does NASDAQ after hours trading mean?
So, standard trading hours last from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. And just like the NYSE, after-hours trading on Nasdaq lasts from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. While after-hours trading times can vary from...

What is the point of After Hours Stock Market?
It allows investors to buy and sell securities outside of regular trading hours. Trades in the after-hours session are completed through electronic communication networks (ECNs) that match potential buyers and sellers without using a traditional stock exchange.
Can I trade stocks after hours?
After-hours trading takes place after the trading day for a stock exchange, and it allows you to buy or sell stocks outside of normal trading hours. Typical after-hours trading hours in the U.S. are between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET.
Can I buy stock after hours on Robinhood?
With extended-hours trading, you'll be able to trade during pre-market and after-hours sessions. Pre-market will be available 2.5 hours earlier, starting at 7 AM ET. After-hours trading continues for 4 more hours, until 8 PM ET. That's an extra six and a half hours of trading, every single day.
What happens if you buy stock after market closes?
Generally, the more buyers and sellers are actively trading a stock, the narrower the spread will be. Because spreads tend to be wider during after-hours trading, you are likely to pay more for shares than during regular hours.
What is after-hours trading?
Typical after-hours trading hours in the U.S. are between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET.
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 ...
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.
Is ECN good for after hours?
The ECN matches orders based on limit prices. Additionally, after-hours orders are only good for that session. You'll have to put in another order when trading opens the next day if you're still interested in the stock.
Can you use multiple ECNs for after hours trading?
Pricing risk: There are multiple ECNs used by different financial institutions to execute after-hours trades, but you'll only get access to one of them through your broker. During a normal trading session, you'll get the best available price from multiple venues.
Can you use limit orders on the Nasdaq?
That presents some limitations and additional risks compared to regular trading on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange. Most notably, investors can only use limit orders to buy or sell shares.
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.
Why Can After Hours Trading Help You In The Stock Market?
After hours trading presents a unique risk and reward proposition. 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. This means price swings can be more pronounced, and any gains or losses quickly wiped away when the full market opens the next day.
Why Do Stocks Fluctuate After Hours?
During regular stock market trading hours, there are far more people trading many more assets. The smaller number of investors trading outside of normal hours can make it more difficult to trade.
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 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.
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 After-Hours Trading?
After-hours trading is the period of time after the market closes when an investor can buy and sell securities outside regular trading hours. Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq Stock Market normally operate from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time (ET). Trades during the after-hours session can be completed anytime from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. 1 2
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.
Is it too risky to trade in the after-hours market?
Again, it depends on the investor’s personal preferences and risk tolerance. Seasoned traders find that risks such as lower volumes and wider bid-ask spreads are more than offset by the opportunity to act on new information before the next day’s regular trading session, as well as the potential to trade mispriced securities.
When can you trade after hours?
Generally from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for most exchanges. However, the vast majority of after-hours trading takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., so be extra careful if you intend to trade in the final hour or two of the after-hours trading session.
Can I use a market order to trade a stock after hours?
No, a market order cannot be used in after-hours trading. Most brokerage firms only accept limit orders in after-hours trading to protect investors from unexpectedly bad prices that may result from the lower trading volumes and wider spreads during this session.
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 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 after-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 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.
Can you trade before or after a normal session?
Trading either before or after the normal session used to be reserved for wealthier investors, but nowadays many online brokers offer the service to any client.
Can you trade in extended hours?
Only in extended hours. Some brokers allow you to set the trade to execute only in the extended hours or only one of the extended sessions (morning or evening).
