The stock market timetable is a piece of crucial information to consider before trading assets in the financial markets. It allows you to determine the best times to trade and when to refrain from placing orders depending on the instrument to be traded. What time is the stock market accessible? Which market favors selling or buying the asset? This article explains all you need to know about the stock market schedule.
Stock Exchange Hours: What are the Opening and Closing Hours of the Stock Exchange?
The stock market is a meeting place for investors and listed companies and is accessible at specific times. Stock market hours depend mainly on the location of the stock market but also working hours and local culture. To determine the right time to trade, take the time to find out the exact opening and closing times of the online stock market. To do this, you must determine the market you wish to trade on and adjust its trading hours.
Generally speaking, stock markets worldwide open from Monday to Friday without interruption and remain closed on weekends. It is true for the European and American trading hours. As for the Asian stock market hours, most markets open and close simultaneously as the Western ones. However, they take a lunch break during which the financial market is not functional.
The Middle Eastern stock market hours differ slightly from those of other regions. These stock exchanges are usually open from Sunday to Thursday. However, the opening and closing hours vary depending on the market. For example, the Riyadh or Tadawul stock exchange is open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (UTC+2), while the Tel Aviv stock exchange is open from 11:00 am to 6:25 pm (UTC+2). As for public holidays, they are specific to each region, but in any case, the stock exchanges remain closed during these periods.
European stock market schedule
The European stock markets generally open every day of the week except the weekend. With standard exceptions, the European market typically opens at 9:30 am and closes at 5:30 pm. This opening lasts 7 hours without interruption. The opening and closing times may differ slightly from the French stock market hours in Greece, Ireland, and Norway.
However, this is not a very significant difference. It is a difference of a few minutes. In Europe, the financial markets are generally unavailable on public holidays. These include important dates such as Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas, and New Year. But the London Stock Exchange makes the difference by declining all trading on public holidays such as Spring Bank Holiday, Good Friday, and May Day.
American Stock Exchange Schedule
The NYSE, NASDAQ, and the Toronto market are the main trading places in America. Like the European markets, these remain open for an average of 7 hours a day. They are available from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm throughout the week except on weekends. However, thanks to automated computer networks, it is possible to trade during the extended hours of 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
The extended hours are nothing more than the amount of time that the market is open after it closes. It allows investors to trade even when the market is unavailable. The extended duration of the market closure favors concentrated interactions on the market at a time of the day. It is made possible by computer systems. The market is a bit riskier as many investors have stopped trading.
President’s Day, Independence Day, and New Year’s Day are the holidays when the NYSE and NASDAQ stop trading. In contrast, the Toronto Stock Exchange closes on different holidays than the other U.S. exchanges except for Thanksgiving. The Toronto Stock Exchange still closes for three holidays. These are National Day, Remembrance Day, and Boxing Day.
Asian Stock Exchange Schedule
Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo stock exchanges are among Asia’s most prestigious. These different Asian stock markets are open for trading from Monday to Friday and remain closed during the weekend. However, they do have trading hours.
The Hong Kong stock exchange opens from 10 am to 4 pm. It takes a slight break during the day from 12:30 pm and reopens at 2:30 pm. However, the Shanghai Stock Exchange opens for trading from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with a 1:30 am break between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. Finally, the Tokyo Stock Exchange remains open from 9:30 am to 11:00 am and then takes a break from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm, i.e., 2 hours per day.
The Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges are closed on vital holidays such as Dragon Boat Festival, Qingming Festival, and Chinese New Year. The Tokyo Stock Exchange has different holidays. It remains closed on National Foundation Day, Shōwa Day, and Coming of Age Day.
Middle East Stock Exchange Schedule
Stock market hours in the Middle East rely on religious programs specific to each area. And not from the model enshrined by Westerners. Their trading hours differ from those of the European, American, and Asian stock exchanges. In the Middle East, the opening and closing hours of the stock exchange vary according to the market and socio-cultural realities. The most important stock exchanges in the Middle East are the Tehran Stock Exchange and the Tadawul Stock Exchange. Tehran Stock Exchange is an Iranian stock exchange where trading takes place from Saturday to Wednesday.
These days, this exchange is open from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm without any break. In Iran, Thursday and Friday are considered the weekend. The holidays when Tehran Stock Exchange does not trade are days such as Khomeini’s Death, Islamic Republic Day, and Nowruz. The Tadawul Stock Exchange is in Saudi Arabia. It is the second-largest exchange in the Middle East and always opens on Sundays. The fact that this exchange is open on Sundays makes it a unique stock market that places orders during this day.
Friday and Saturday are considered the weekend in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the Tadawul Stock Exchange opens from 10 am to 3 pm from Sunday to Thursday without interference. Saudi Arabia records public holidays such as Eid-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, and Saudi National Day. These holidays are also days when the Tadawul Stock Exchange declines all trading.