Stock Market Hours for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know

If you just opened a brokerage account and you're wondering "when can I actually trade?" — here's everything you need to know in plain English.

The US stock market is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time. It's closed on weekends and about 9 holidays per year. That's it — those are the core hours.

Both the NYSE and NASDAQ follow the same schedule, so you don't need to worry about which exchange a stock is on.

There are actually three windows when you can trade stocks each day:

1. Pre-market (4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET): Early trading before the official open. Lower activity, higher risk.
2. Regular hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET): This is when most trading happens. As a beginner, this is where you should focus.
3. After-hours (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET): Trading continues after the close, but with fewer participants.

Beginner tip: Stick to regular hours. Prices are more stable, orders fill more reliably, and you'll have the best experience.

Stock market hours are always quoted in Eastern Time (ET). Here's a quick conversion:

If you're on the West Coast, the market opens pretty early. Some Pacific Time traders set an alarm for 6:15 AM to review the pre-market before the bell rings.

• Don't rush to trade at market open. The first 15-30 minutes can be hectic with lots of price swings. It's fine to wait and watch.
• Set up alerts. Most brokerages let you set price alerts so you don't have to stare at screens all day.
• Check if the market is open before placing orders. Use our Is the Market Open Today? tool — especially around holidays.
• Know the holidays. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to trade when the market is closed. Check the 2026 holiday calendar.
• Use our countdown timers. Visit BellHour's homepage to see live countdowns for every major exchange worldwide.