Regular Trading HoursRTH
Regular trading hours are an exchange’s main session — for US stocks, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Sessions before and after are extended hours, with thinner liquidity and wider spreads.
Regular trading hours are an exchange's main session. For US stocks that is 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Trading before and after the main session is called extended hours, and it usually has thinner liquidity and wider spreads. Session times and rules differ by country and exchange.
- Category
- Market Structure
- Reading time
- 3 min
- Also called
- Regular session, Core trading hours
- Updated
Regular trading hours in plain words
US-listed stocks trade in the regular session between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time.1
Pre-market trading usually runs from about 7 to 9:30 a.m., and after-hours from 4 to 8 p.m. Eastern time.1
The key warning is simple: extended-hours trading is less liquid.1
How to trade around the sessions
Know your exchange
Check the official session times for your market.
Know the US core session
Learn the main session: 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Eastern.1
Check extended sessions
Check your venue — on Nasdaq, pre-market starts as early as 4 a.m. Eastern time.2
Expect thinner books
Expect bigger swings outside regular hours, because fewer trades take place.1
Use limit orders
Expect your broker to accept only limit orders in extended hours.1
Read the disclosure
Read the extended-hours risk disclosure your broker must give you.3
Worked examples
Example 1 — Spread widens
−26.00Hypothetical stock: spread 0.02 in the regular session, 0.15 after hours.
| Extra cost on 200 shares | (0.15 − 0.02) × 200 = 26.00 |
This reflects that extended-hours trading is less liquid.1
Example 2 — Earnings after the close
VolatileA hypothetical company reports at 4:05 p.m. ET and the stock jumps 8% after hours.
| Move | +8% |
With so few trades after hours, prices swung far more than usual.1
Example 3 — Order type
Use a limitA trader sends a market order at 7:30 a.m. ET.
| Result | May be rejected |
Many brokers accept only limit orders in extended hours, so the order needed a limit price.1
Regular vs extended hours
| Aspect | Regular hours | Extended hours |
|---|---|---|
| US time | 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET | Before and after |
| Liquidity | Highest | Lower |
| Spreads | Tighter | Wider |
| Order types | All | Often limit only |
Where session times matter
Planning
Fitting trades to Market Hours.
Sessions
Comparing each Trading Session.
Gaps
News outside hours causes a Price Gap.
Costs
Wider Bid-Ask Spread after hours.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Deepest liquidity in the main session.
- Tighter spreads.
- Full range of order types.
Disadvantages
- News often lands outside the session.
- Extended hours are thinner and riskier.
- Times differ by country and exchange.
- Overnight gaps can jump past stops.
Going deeper
Read as far as you need. Each level builds on the one before it.
Definition
Beginner
The core US stock session opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. Eastern time.1
Extended sessions
Intermediate
Nasdaq's pre-market opens at 4 a.m. and its after-hours session runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Eastern time.2
Risks
Advanced
Because extended hours are thinner, US brokers must warn clients about the extra risks.1
Common mistakes
Using market orders after hours
Use limits.
Ignoring time zones
Convert to your local time.
Assuming US times everywhere
Each exchange differs.
Forgetting holidays
Check the exchange calendar.
Check your understanding
Test yourself before moving on. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Key points to remember
- Regular hours are the main session.
- US stocks: 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET.
- Extended hours are thinner and more volatile.
- Use limit orders outside the session.
- Times differ by country and exchange.
Frequently asked questions
What time is that in Zagreb?
Can anyone trade pre-market?
Do futures have regular hours?
Further learning
- Market Hours
Global hours.
- Trading Session
Sessions compared.
- Price Gap
Overnight moves.
- Liquidity
Why depth matters.
Sources
This article is written in our own words. The sources below support the specific facts, rules and figures marked with a number in the text. Links open the original publisher’s page.
- FINRA. Extended-Hours Trading: Know the Risks (opens in a new tab) Checked .
- Nasdaq. Stock Market Trading Hours for Nasdaq (opens in a new tab) Checked .
- FINRA. Rule 2265. Extended Hours Trading Risk Disclosure (opens in a new tab) Checked .
Educational content, not financial advice. Examples use hypothetical prices and simplified costs; actual fees, margin rules and regulations vary by broker, market and country. We are not affiliated with any publisher linked above. Last reviewed . Report an error or request a source credit.