Stock market opening times vary throughout the world. Most are open throughout the working week, but that doesn’t always mean Monday to Friday.
For example, the Saudi Stock Exchange is open from Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Stock market opening times also vary from region to region based on holidays, from Christmas to Thanksgiving, the Emperor’s Birthday in Japan, Guru Nanak Jayanti in India and Carnival in Brazil, every country in the world has its own traditions.
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In the UK and the US over the Christmas season, stock market opening times can change significantly.
So with the season coming up, when will the London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange open this year?
When is the London Stock Exchange open?
The London Stock Exchange is typically open on weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm with a small break between 12:00 pm and 12:02 pm.
With a total trading window of 8 hours 28 minutes, the exchange has some of the longest opening hours in the world.
In comparison, the trading session in New York is just 6 hours 30 hours.
The London Stock Exchange is shut on weekends, and some big City traders can place deals outside of the standard stock market opening times.
The exchange conducts what is known as extended hours, or after-hours trading, which takes place from 5:05 am to 7:50 am and 4:40 pm to 5:15 pm when the market is closed.
What are the stock market opening times in the United States?
Unlike London, the US market is so big there are several stock exchanges. The NYSE and the Nasdaq are the two largest American exchanges and they open between 9:30 am and 16:30 pm with no break for lunch.
After-hours trading also takes place on American exchanges. The after-hours trading session can run as late as 8:00 pm and start as early as 7:00 am. What’s more, extended-hours trading is more widely available in the US and is offered by most online brokers.
However, trading outside of the usual stock market opening times can be hazardous. As the number of trades is only a fraction of the number in usual trading hours, equity prices can be unpredictable.
When will the London Stock Exchange close for Christmas?
The London Stock Exchange will be open for a half day on Friday 22 December, closing at 12:30 pm.
It will be closed on Monday 25 December for Christmas Day and Tuesday 26 December for Boxing Day.
On Friday 29 December the London Stock Exchange will be open for a half day, shutting at 12:30 pm. Finally it will close again Monday 1 January for the New Year’s Day bank holiday.
After the Christmas season, it will remain open until early April when it will observe the year’s bank holidays for Easter.
What are the stock market opening times of the NYSE over the holidays?
The New York Stock Exchange will close for Christmas Day on Monday 25 December. It will also close on Monday 1 January for the New Year’s Day holiday.
The Nasdaq market will close to observe Christmas Day on Monday 25 December and it will also be closed for the New Year’s Day holiday on 1 January. The stock market opening times will remain the same otherwise.
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