What Time Does the Stock Market Close?

The US stock market closes at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday. This is when regular trading ends on both the NYSE and NASDAQ.

Here's 4:00 PM ET in other US time zones:

• Central Time: 3:00 PM
• Mountain Time: 2:00 PM
• Pacific Time: 1:00 PM
• Alaska Time: 12:00 PM (noon)
• Hawaii Time: 10:00 AM

If you're on the West Coast, the market closes right after lunch — so keep that in mind if you want to make trades during the day.

The market doesn't completely shut down at 4:00 PM. After-hours trading continues until 8:00 PM ET on most brokerages.

During after-hours, you can still buy and sell stocks, but there are fewer people trading. This means prices can jump around more, and it might be harder to buy or sell at the price you want. Most beginners stick to regular hours.

A few times a year, the stock market closes early at 1:00 PM ET instead of 4:00 PM. These usually happen the day before or after a major holiday:

• The day before Independence Day (July 3rd, if it falls on a weekday)
• The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday)
• Christmas Eve (December 24th, if it falls on a weekday)

Check our 2026 holiday calendar for the full list.

The closing minutes of the market are often the busiest. Lots of big trades happen right before 4:00 PM because funds and professional traders need to finish their day's work. You might notice stock prices moving more in the last 15-30 minutes.

After the closing bell rings, the final prices are set. These are the "closing prices" you see quoted in the news.

Want to see exactly how much time is left before the market closes? Check our live countdown timers.