World stock market trading hours: a user guide

Why world stock market trading hours are important

World stock market trading hours are important to understand for indices and shares traders. The opening hours of individual exchanges are your window to execute trades, respond to market changes, and manage your portfolio throughout the day. Therefore, strong planning and decision-making depends on an awareness of world stock market trading hours. 

Some exchanges pause trading for a lunch break, which enables system maintenance, administrative tasks, and mitigates against excessive volatility. This break allows traders to reflect on positions and prepare for the second half of the trading day. However, other exchanges operate continuously without a break, meaning it’s important to stay aware of potential market shifts throughout the entire session. 

All times shown in the piece are in the UTC timezone.

What time does the UK stock market open?

The UK stock market (London Stock Exchange) opens at 7:00am UTC and closes at 3:30pm with no lunch break, impacting the UK 100 index.

What time does the US stock market open?

The US stock market (New York Stock Exchange) opens at 1:30pm UTC and closes at 8:00pm, with no lunch break, impacting the Dow Jones, (US Wall Street 30) S&P 500 (US 500).

What time do Asian markets open?

Asian markets open and close at different times depending on the exchange. The Japan Exchange Group, from which the Nikkei 225 (Japan 225) is compiled, opens at 12:00am UTC and closes at 6:00am, while the Shanghai Stock Exchange, covering the SSE Composite (China A50) opens at 1:30am UTC and closes at 7:00am. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, from which the Hang Seng (Hong Kong 50) is compiled, also opens at 1:30am UTC and closes at 8:00am. All of these exchanges have lunch breaks (see below table).

What time do European markets open?

European markets mostly open and close at the same times. The Euronext Paris, from which the CAC 40 (France 40) and the AEX (Netherlands 25) are compiled, opens at 7:00am UTC and closes at 3:30pm. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange, from which the DAX 40 (Germany 40) is compiled, the Bolsa de Madrid, for the Ibex 35 (Spain 35), and the Borsa Italiana (Italian Stock Exchange) for the Italy 40, share the same hours of 7:00am UTC to 3:30pm UTC.

What time do Australasian markets open?

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), from which the ASX 200 (Australia 200) is compiled, opens at 11:00pm UTC and closes at 5:00am. The New Zealand Stock Exchange, for the New Zealand 50, is open from 9:00pm UTC to 3:45am.

What are the major exchange opening and closing times?

Here is a complete list of the major stock exchange opening and closing times to be aware of, showing the exchange as well as the related indices we offer, with the specific Capital.com market to look for in brackets.

*Nasdaq® is a trademark of Nasdaq Inc. The information provided herein is for informative purposes only.

What is after hours trading?

After hours trading, also known as extended hours trading, refers to the period that shares and indices can be traded outside of the regular hours of the exchange to which they relate. Therefore, after hours trading enables you to react to news and events that occur outside of the regular session. However, if you’re planning to trade after hours, it’s important to factor into your trading plan that overall volume can vary significantly compared to regular hours, potentially meaning lower liquidity and higher volatility. Find out more about the markets you can trade after hours with us.

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