US Stock Market Timings

Stock exchanges provide a platform where investors can buy and sell financial securities such as shares, bonds, ETFs and derivatives. They also help companies raise capital by listing their shares and making them available to investors.

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, established in 1602, is widely recognised as the world's first modern stock exchange. It was closely associated with the Dutch East India Company, which issued shares to fund its trading activities.

Today, stock markets are an important part of the financial system. They connect companies looking to raise funds with investors and provide a platform for trading securities. Indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 help track market performance and investor sentiment.

Like other stock exchanges, the US stock market follows set trading hours. Its regular trading session is based on Eastern Time (ET), while the corresponding timings in India change depending on the US daylight saving schedule.

US Share Market Time or Trading Hours

The United States has several stock exchanges, of which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are the two largest by market capitalization.

The NYSE, located on Wall Street in New York City, is the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalisation. It traces its origins to the Buttonwood Agreement signed by 24 stockbrokers on May 17, 1792. The exchange is owned by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE), a publicly listed company.

Nasdaq is another major US stock exchange and ranks among the world's largest exchanges by market capitalisation. Founded in 1971, it is operated by Nasdaq, Inc., which is headquartered at One Liberty Plaza in New York City.

The NYSE and Nasdaq follow the same regular trading hours for US equities. The standard trading schedule is given below.

US stock market timings are based on Eastern Time (ET), which alternates between two time standards:

• Eastern Standard Time (EST): Observed during autumn and winter, EST is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-5).
• Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): Observed during spring and summer, EDT is 4 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-4).

In 2026, daylight saving time in the United States begins on March 8 and ends on November 1. Consequently, US stock market timings in India shift by one hour during these periods.

Although extended trading sessions are available, the regular US stock market session begins at 9:30 AM ET and ends at 4:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday, except on exchange holidays. The NYSE and Nasdaq generally follow these regular trading hours.

Stock markets in the United States remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

The following table lists US stock market holidays and dates with early closing hours in 2026.

Note: The NYSE and Nasdaq also announce any additional changes to trading schedules. Certain options markets and exchange segments may have different closing times on early-close days.

US Stock Market Time in India

The US and India follow different time zones. As a result, the opening and closing times of US stock exchanges in India change depending on the US daylight saving schedule.

During daylight saving time, the regular US stock market session runs from 7:00 PM to 1:30 AM IST (the following day). During standard time, it runs from 8:00 PM to 2:30 AM IST (the following day).

India's stock markets, including the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), have regular equity trading hours from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM IST.

The following table provides the regular trading hours of some major stock exchanges around the world.

A Few More Facts about US Stock Market Time

There have been deviations from standard working hours of the US share market open time in the past due to various reasons. Some notable instances include –

• Immediately after the terrorist attacks of 11th of September in 2001, NYSE was closed for a record 4 straight sessions. It was a Tuesday. Operations resumed on the 17th of September, a Monday.
  
  
• On Monday, 29th of October, 2012, NYSE was closed for 2 days due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. This storm ultimately caused damages in excess of USD 70 billion – not just in the US but also in other countries.

Once the situation normalises, it is expected that all major stock exchanges in America will resume normal operations. Currently, the US Stock Market time remain unchanged.