Stock market trading hours by region
North America
The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ both operate from 9.30am to 4.00pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, with no lunch break. Canadian markets, including the Toronto Stock Exchange, generally follow the same schedule.
US exchanges also support extended hours trading outside the main session via electronic trading systems. Liquidity may be lower during these periods than during regular trading hours.
Europe
European stock markets typically open earlier in the day than US markets. The London Stock Exchange trades from 8.00am to 4.30pm UK time, while Euronext exchanges operate on a unified timetable across multiple countries.
Most European exchanges do not pause for lunch, and trading hours are relatively consistent across the region.
Asia
Asian markets open while European and North American markets are closed. Several major exchanges in the region, including those in Japan, China and Hong Kong, observe a midday lunch break, temporarily halting continuous trading.
Asian exchanges generally close on local public holidays, which are announced in advance by each exchange.
Middle East
Trading hours in the Middle East vary by exchange and often reflect local working weeks rather than the Monday-to-Friday model used in Europe and North America. Some exchanges operate Sunday to Thursday.
Most Middle Eastern exchanges do not pause for lunch during trading hours.
Oceania
The Australian Securities Exchange operates from 10.00am to 4.00pm local time, Monday to Friday. New Zealand’s main exchange follows a similar weekday structure, with slightly extended closing times.