Market open times — the world's major stock exchanges

• Unlike the forex market, which is open 24/5 (except holidays), stock markets have specific
  daily trading hours.
• Market open and close times can often have the highest volumes.
• High volumes mean high liquidity, which means a higher order flow due to more buyers and sellers.
• There are certain times of any day when the Asian session overlaps with the European session. In addition, at a certain time, the European and New York sessions overlap. Many day traders place their trades only in those overlapping sessions.
• The Asian Pacific session has comparatively low volumes. Then volumes pick up when Europe opens, and the highest volumes are seen during the first overlapping hour of the European and New York sessions. 

The open is your first opportunity to see what the trading day has in store for you. As the markets prepare for the opening, you can absorb and act on information from overnight releases, unexpected news or significant events on global markets.

What did Elon Musk tweet about Tesla or Trump on the US economy? Funnily enough, when these individuals post on a platform such as Twitter, they can have a big impact on certain markets.

The trading volume on the morning open is always higher than the rest of the day and is usually only surpassed by volumes at the close. Increased volume often results in raised volatility and larger price fluctuations.

There are several stock markets worldwide, most of which are open during the weekdays. However, the trading hours vary widely depending on the country or location. We offer an overview of stock market trading hours for major exchanges worldwide. This may be useful if you are a savvy trader looking to capitalise on higher liquidity as well as volatility.

Because of work and cultural differences, UK stock market hours will differ from those in Hong Kong or Japan. Some stock markets, usually in Asia, also close for lunch, although those in Europe and the Americas do not.

Stock market hours differ from those of other financial markets. For example, the currency market is often open 24/5, while crypto markets never close. Tokyo (for Asia), London (for Europe), and New York (for North America) are the three major trading sessions. Because these trading hours overlap, you can open and exit positions in the forex market from the Asian open to the New York close on Friday.

The Forex market is the largest in the world and is open 24/5. If you are more interested in Forex trading, here is the article on Forex market hours.

The majority of these stock exchanges have a market capitalisation of more than $1 trillion US dollars. They account for more than 87% of global market capitalisation. Here are major stock exchanges and their trading hours:

Trading hours in North America

No matter where the exchange is situated, trading in North America is typically based on the Eastern Time (EST) zone. The stock trading exchanges' headquarters are in New York City and Toronto, and here are the trading hours for them:

Trading hours in South America

The largest stock exchanges, as measured by market capitalisation, tend to be found north of the equator. The South American stock market is modest in comparison to these but the B3 Brazil Stock Exchange, formed by the merger of two smaller stock exchanges in So Paulo, BM&F and Bovespa, accounts for a significant portion of the total value on this continent. 

Trading hours in Europe

European stock market hours are often regarded as the longest of any area, with no lunch break during trading hours. Euronext, a collective stock exchange covering several European stock markets, including Amsterdam, Paris, Lisbon, Brussels, and Dublin, is the region's largest exchange as measured by market capitalisation. 

Trading hours in Asia Pacific

Asian Pacific's stock markets close somewhat earlier than other areas, with the major exchanges in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Singapore. The Korea Stock Exchange, on the other hand, is an exception to this norm because there is no lunch break. 

Trading hours in Australia

Oceania's stock exchanges, including the ASX and the New Zealand Stock Exchange, open at 10 am, later than most stock markets worldwide.

Trading hours in South Africa

The JSE is Africa's largest stock exchange, located in South Africa's southernmost country, and has an agreement with the LSE to allow cross-dealing between the two stock exchanges. 

When planning your stock market trading activities, keep in mind that the trading schedule for stocks is directly dependent on the trading hours of the exchange where particular stocks are traded. Global markets generally operate from Monday to Friday during the trading hours listed here.

There are some exceptions, such as on market holidays, when markets close earlier, or some assets are completely unavailable for trading. For example, no trading is permitted  on the NYSE or NASDAQ  on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is closed in May to commemorate Buddha's Birthday, while European exchanges are closed on May Day. In addition, most stock exchanges are closed during the New Year's holiday season.

Please note that some exchanges have brief pre and post-market trading sessions, usually to allow traders to tidy up their positions.

Another factor to take into consideration is DST. Markets' opening and closing hours are affected by daylight savings when exchanges open an hour earlier than usual.

Market open times are important for you whether you are a forex day trader, swing trader, or position trader. As we have already shared, how many traders frequently find the market open and close to trade? However, like every other factor used to speculate on financial markets, market open and close times carry their own risks. So, you need proper due diligence before jumping into trades during those hours.