Stock market trading sessions hours

Although trading operations on financial markets are nowadays mostly performed online, traders must be familiar with the schedules of the major global sessions.

Four global trading sessions

During most of the calendar year, it is standard practice for financial markets to operate from Monday to Friday, with quotes being updated while traders conduct trades. However, due to the time differences between world time zones, a trading day is conveniently classified into 4 sessions: Asian, European, American, and Pacific.

With dealing periods overlapping each other, it is quite easy to choose the trading hours that suit you best.

Schedule of Stock market trading hours. The time zone is UTC+2 (Eastern European Time, EET):

When referring to Stock market trading hours, it is common practice to use the UTC time zone – the Universal Time Coordinated. The server time in RoboMarkets terminals differs from the UTC by 2 hours (UTC+2). When several countries switch to daylight saving time (DST) in spring, the difference becomes bigger (UTC+3).

RegionCityOpenCloseStock exchange
AsiaTokyo2:0010:00TSE
Hong Kong3:0011:00HKEX
Singapore2:0010:00SGX
EuropeFrankfurt8:0016:00FWR
London9:0017:00LSE
AmericaNew York15:0023:00NYSE
Chicago16:0024:00CHX
Pacific Wellington22:006:00ASX
Sidney22:006:00ASX

Asian trading session

This is the first trading session in the world, as the Asian stock market is the first to open. During this trading session, securities quoted on TSE (Tokyo), SGX (Singapore) and HKSE (Hong Kong) are traded. For example, stocks of famous Japanese manufacturers of cars and electronics, such as Honda, Toyota, Canon, Casio, Sony, and others.

European trading session

As a rule, this timespan is characterized by heavy price action at the beginning of the trading day, as well as after lunchtime when European traders go back to their workplaces. The trading session in Frankfurt starts at 08:00 CET, while dealings in London begin at 09:00 CET. Due to the difference between time zones, it is obvious when the Asian session draws to a close, and the European one starts. The European session is marked by higher volatility.

American trading session

The start of this session occurs when European traders are about to finish their working day. This means that American traders, who have just started their trading day with renewed vigour and ideas, and European traders, who are just about to end theirs, co-exist on the market during this time. Therefore, the American session is known as the most active and aggressive one on the stock market.

This is the best moment for investments in the stocks quoted on NASDAQ and NYSE, which include Apple, Twitter, Amazon, and other major companies.

Pacific trading session

This session starts in Wellington at 6:00 PM UTC. At 8:00 PM UTC, Sydney joins the session. The Pacific session is the only one that overlaps all other sessions. It is characterized by moderate volatility provided no significant political and economic events are happening during this time.

FAQ

Why should traders know the trading schedule?

Traders need to know the trading schedule so as to make effective use of their time on the market. The trading hours of the different exchanges are identical, but due to the time differences, trading can be conducted around the clock. This is particularly important for continuous automated trading.

In addition, exchange rates and other indicators in different periods of the same trading session may differ significantly. Each session also requires a separate strategy, so each trader must follow the trading schedule and act accordingly.

When do markets stop working?

All global markets are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on bank holidays. Also, trading schedules may be different for particular instruments. Up-to-date information regarding upcoming changes in trading schedules worldwide, due to holidays or any other reasons, can be found on the Economic Calendar page.