Market hours refer to the specific time period during which financial markets are open for trading. The market hours can vary depending on the type of market, such as stock markets, Forex markets, or commodity markets, as well as the country or region in which the market operates. Choose below your time zone to check the market hours of each instrument:
Trading Hours on North American Exchanges
Trading in North America is generally based on the Eastern time zone no matter where the exchange is located. The exception is the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), which posts its hours in Central time but adjusts its hours to match those of the NYSE.
The headquarters of the trading exchanges are in New York City, Toronto, and Mexico City. The westernmost time zone is Mexico City, with the BMV trading within business hours of Central Standard Time (CST). However, even though the BMV trades on CST, the hours mirror those of the NYSE, so, all things considered, trading is open during the same time frame.
Regular trading hours for the NYSE and Nasdaq are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.52
An alternative for investors in foreign stocks is to trade American depositary receipts (ADRs), which trade on U.S. exchanges and in U.S. dollars.
| Name | Marketplace | Time Zone | Trading Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) | New York, United States | EDT | 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Nasdaq Stock Market | New York, United States | EDT | 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) | Toronto, Canada | EDT | 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Trading Hours in the U.K. and Europe
Europe, like Asia, has many individual exchanges. The largest stock exchange organization in Europe is Euronext, a pan-European exchange that operates in seven countries and has its headquarters in Amsterdam.
| Name | Marketplace | Time Zone | Trading Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Stock Exchange | London, United Kingdom | GMT | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Frankfurt Stock Exchange | Frankfurt, Germany | CEST | 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. |
| SIX Swiss Exchange | Zurich, Switzerland | CEST | 9:00 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Euronext Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | CEST | 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Stockholm Stock Exchange | Stockholm, Sweden | CEST | 9:00 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. |
Trading Hours in Australia/Oceania
The Sydney-based Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is roughly the same size as the South African exchange. The ASX merged with the Sydney Futures Exchange in 2006. Bonds and derivatives also are traded on the ASX. The market opens later than most, at 10 a.m. local time, and there is no lunch break.
| Name | Marketplace | Time Zone | Trading Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) | Sydney, Australia | AEDT | 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Trading Hours in Asia and the Mideast
There are 11 time zones across Asia and its immediate neighbors, but fortunately, they roughly synchronize their exchange hours to create a good deal of overlap for the sake of trade and liquidity.6
Some Asian markets, including the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE/TYO), take a break for lunch.78
The Shanghai Stock Exchange has numerous market holidays each year, including an extended hiatus for the Chinese New Year.
| Name | Marketplace | Time Zone | Trading Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) | Shanghai, China | CST | 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 2:57 p.m. |
| Tokyo Stock Exchange | Tokyo, Japan | JST | 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) | Shenzhen, China | CST | 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 2:57 p.m. |
| Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) | Hong Kong | HKT | 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) | Mumbai, India | IST | 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Saudi Stock Exchange | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AST | 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| BSE Limited | Mumbai, India | IST | 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Korea Exchange (KRX) | Seoul, South Korea | KST | 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) | Taipei, Taiwan | CST | 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. |