Trading Hours: When Are Stock Markets Open?
An answer to the question put in the title of this article is not as straightforward and easy as it might seem. The problem is that stock markets exist in all four corners of the world, and defining their working hours can be done only in relation to one particular continent and one time zone. The only answer to this question that can be given right off the bat is that stock markets close in the evening, apart from holidays. To give a more specific answer, we need to describe the main global stock markets in detail. Please, read on to get a comprehensive picture of the global markets’ opening hours.
What Are the Main Stock Market Exchanges in the World?
A stock market exchange is a marketplace where stocks are traded during the daytime. It is an entity ensuring orderly trading and efficient dissemination of price quotes for stocks on the market. There are sixty stock exchanges in the world. In Asia, there are 7 stock exchanges, whose total value is approximately $24 billion. Australia and New Zealand have 2 exchanges with a total value of about $1,207 billion. Europe boasts 17 exchanges that have a total value of more than $13,500 billion. There are 5 stock market exchanges in Africa, reaching a total value of about $1,120 billion. The Middle East has 9 exchanges with an overall value of 1,400 billion. South America has 5 stock markets worth about $933 billion. North Americas have 5 exchanges with a total value of more than $28,059 billion. Among these stock exchanges, there are ten exchanges that are daily quoted in financial news. They are as follows:
- NYSE (market value $28,19 trillion)
- NASDAQ (12.98 trillion)
- Japan Exchange Group ($5,37 trillion)
- Shanghai Stock Exchange ($4.92 trillion)
- Hong Kong Exchanges ($$4.48 trillion)
- Euronext (3.85 trillion)
- Shenzhen Stock Exchange ($3.49 trillion)
- London Stock Exchange ($3.13 trillion)
- Saudi Stock Exchange ($2.15 trillion)
- TMX Group (1.97 trillion)
The NYSE is bigger than the world’s 50 smallest exchanges. The 16 exchanges that comprise the so-called “$1 Trillion Club” account for 87% of global market capitalization.
What Are Trading Hours per Region?
North Americas
The NYSE is open from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, though it closes earlier, when a holiday is celebrated in the country.
The NASDAQ serves as a global electronic marketplace for securities trading. Its pre-market trading hours are from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. EST. Its after-hours trading extends from 4.p.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Normal trading hours at the NASDAQ begin at 9:30 a.m. EST and end at 4 p.m. EST.
Canada’s Toronto Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 a.m. ET and shuts down at 4 p.m. ET. There is a break for lunch in the middle of the working day.
Asia
The Shanghai Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 a.m. local time and closes at 3 p.m. local time. There is also a lunch break from 11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
Japan’s Tokyo Stock Exchange opens at 9:00 a.m. local time and closes at 3 p.m. local time. It shuts down for a lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. local time.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 a.m. local time and closes at 4 p.m. local time. Its lunch period is from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
Europe
The London Stock Exchange opens at 8 a.m. local time and closes at 4:30 p.m. It has no lunch period.
Euronext Paris begins to work at 9 a.m. GMT and stops working at 5:30 p.m. GMT, with no lunch period.
The Swiss Exchange opens at 9:00 a.m. local time and closes at 5:30 p.m. local time. There is no lunch period either.
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