Moneyzine
Contents
/Investment Guides /Regular Trading Hours (Standard Trading Hours)

Regular Trading Hours (Standard Trading Hours)

Moneyzine Editor
Author: 
Moneyzine Editor
1 mins
September 21st, 2023
Advertiser Disclosure

Definition

The term regular trading hours refers to the standard stock exchange hours of operation, which are between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. While investors can also trade in the after-hours market and pre-market, the largest numbers of shares are exchanged during normal hours.

Explanation

Investors have the option of completing trades during regular hours, after-hours and during pre-market; the latter two are also referred to as extended hours. Prior to the advent of electronic communications networks (ECN), investors were limited to trading during regular hours, which are between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

While companies oftentimes release new information after or before regular hours, trading during the market's normal hours of operation provides investors with several advantages, including:

  • Liquidity: since there are more market participants during normal hours, it is easier for investors to sell and buy shares at a fair price.

  • Spreads: once again, since the number of participants is larger during normal hours, the bid and ask price spreads will be smaller than during extended hours.

  • Volatility: finally, the competition and volume of transactions that occur during normal hours means the price swings of individual stocks will be smaller too.

Related Terms

after-hours stock trading, pre-market trading

Explore Investing Further

Related Content

  • Biden Or Trump: Who Is Better For The Economy And Stocks?
    Yup. This is one of those articles. It's an election year, and here in the U.S., we get to decide which old dude who’s been alive long enough to remember when there were only 48 states in the U.S. will be the leader of the free world.
    March 19th, 2024
  • When it comes to strategic business planning, accounting is front and center, shaping the course of action. At least it should be.
    March 14th, 2024
  • DRIP Brokers: Best Brokers for Dividend Investing for April 2024
    Reinvesting dividends could mean compound growth for your portfolio. But reinvesting them manually can be a hassle. This is why you could benefit from a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP).
    March 12th, 2024
  • How To Invest in Real Estate Without Becoming a Landlord
    We all know that in order to build wealth and prepare for retirement, investing is the key. However, it can be hard to figure out what to invest in and how to put your money to good use. One of the most talked about ways to build wealth is owning property and being a landlord to bring in passive income. But what if you don’t want to do that? You can still invest in real estate!
    March 6th, 2024
  • Investing In Nature: The Closest You'll Get To Your Money Growing On Trees
    ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has become a polluted word for many traders and investors - but that doesn't mean it's going completely away. Nor does that mean you can't profit from nature or sustainable practices. But there are some opportunities in the regenerative ag, conservation, and green real estate spaces.
    February 29th, 2024

Contributors

Moneyzine 2024. All Rights Reserved.