US Stock Market Hours During Daylight Saving Time: Beijing Time Pre-Market, Regular, and After-Hours Full Guide

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Are you confused by the complex trading hours of US stocks? We’ve prepared a clear guide for you. The table below directly shows the correspondence of US stock market opening times in Beijing time.

This article will provide you with a detailed analysis of all the details of US stock trading hours, helping you say goodbye to confusion and accurately seize every trading opportunity.

Key Points

• US stock trading hours are divided into Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time, which affect opening and closing times.
• During Daylight Saving Time, the regular US stock trading hours are from 9:30 PM to 4:00 AM the next day in Beijing time.
• During Standard Time, the regular US stock trading hours are from 10:30 PM to 5:00 AM the next day in Beijing time.
• Pre-market and after-hours trading provide additional opportunities, but with low trading volume, high price volatility, and higher risks.
• The US stock market closes or ends early on specific holidays, and investors should check the holiday calendar in advance.

Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time: Definitions and Switching

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To accurately grasp US stock trading hours, you first need to understand the difference between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time. These two concepts directly determine the opening and closing times of the US stock market.

What is Daylight Saving Time (DST)

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a system of artificially adjusting time to save energy. According to the official US definition, Daylight Saving Time advances the clock by one hour, shifting morning daylight to the evening, allowing you to enjoy longer daylight hours during warmer months. This practice was first adopted during World War I, with the aim of extending daytime working hours and saving fuel.

What is Standard Time

Standard Time, also known as Standard Time, is the normal time for each time zone as stipulated by US law. You can think of it as the “original time” without any forward adjustment. When Daylight Saving Time ends, the clock is set back one hour to return to Standard Time. It’s worth noting that not all regions in the United States observe Daylight Saving Time. For example, Hawaii and most of Arizona use Standard Time year-round.

Switching Rules Between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time

Understanding the pattern of time switching is crucial. Since 2007, the United States has followed these rules:

• Daylight Saving Time Starts: Every year on the second Sunday in March, clocks are advanced from 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
• Daylight Saving Time Ends: Every year on the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back from 2:00 AM to 1:00 AM.

This fixed switching rule allows you to predict time changes in advance. However, the US Congress has discussed the Sunshine Protection Act for permanent Daylight Saving Time, so future rules may still change.

How to Quickly Determine the Current Trading Session

Faced with these two time systems, how can you quickly determine which session is currently active? A simple method is to remember the interval from “March to November.” If the current date falls within this range, the US market is most likely using Daylight Saving Time.

The most reliable method is to use tools for confirmation. You can add a world clock displaying New York time on your phone or computer world clock, or directly visit websites like time.is. Accurately knowing the current time in the US Eastern Time Zone is the first step to converting the correct US stock market opening time in Beijing time, effectively preventing you from missing trades due to time confusion.

US Stock Market Opening Time in Beijing Time: Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time

After understanding the switching rules between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time, we can now calculate the specific US stock market opening times in Beijing time. This is the core information you need most when trading.

First, you need to know a basic principle: All official times for US markets are based on Eastern Time (ET). Due to Daylight Saving Time, this Eastern Time switches between Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and Eastern Standard Time (EST).

US Eastern Time (ET) Trading Sessions

Trading Session	Start Time (ET)	End Time (ET)
Pre-Market Trading	4:00 AM	9:30 AM
Regular Trading	9:30 AM	4:00 PM
After-Hours Trading	4:00 PM	8:00 PM

Next, based on these official times, we will break down in detail the corresponding Beijing times for Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time.

Trading Hours During Daylight Saving Time (Beijing Time)

When the United States is in Daylight Saving Time (approximately from March to November each year), its Eastern Time (EDT) is 12 hours behind Beijing time. You can quickly convert by adding 12 hours to the US Eastern Time.

Therefore, the US stock trading hours during Daylight Saving Time correspond as follows:

• Pre-Market Trading (Pre-market): Beijing Time 16:00 - 21:30
• Regular Trading (Regular Session): Beijing Time 21:30 - Next Day 04:00
• After-Hours Trading (After-hours): Beijing Time 04:00 - 08:00

For most investors, the most critical is to remember the regular trading session during Daylight Saving Time, which opens at 9:30 PM Beijing time.

Trading Hours During Standard Time (Beijing Time)

When the United States enters Standard Time (approximately from November to March the following year), the clock is set back one hour, and its Eastern Time (EST) is 13 hours behind Beijing time.

In this case, you need to add 13 hours to the US Eastern Time to get the correct Beijing time. This shifts the overall US stock market opening time in Beijing time back by one hour.

• Pre-Market Trading (Pre-market): Beijing Time 17:00 - 22:30
• Regular Trading (Regular Session): Beijing Time 22:30 - Next Day 05:00
• After-Hours Trading (After-hours): Beijing Time 05:00 - 09:00

The regular trading during Standard Time opens at 10:30 PM Beijing time, one hour later than during Daylight Saving Time.

💡 Important Tip: US Stocks Have No Lunch Break

Unlike the A-share market in mainland China, US stocks trade continuously during the regular session without a midday break. This means the market remains active from opening to closing.

Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading: Mechanisms and Risks

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Having understood the regular trading hours, you may also be curious about pre-market and after-hours trading. These sessions provide additional trading opportunities but come with unique mechanisms and risks.

What Are Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading

You first need to understand their definition. According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), any trading activity outside the regular trading hours (Eastern Time 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM) is considered Extended-Hours Trading.

• Pre-Market Trading (Pre-market) refers to trading activity before the regular market opens.
• After-Hours Trading (After-hours) refers to trading activity after the regular market closes.

These trades are not executed directly through major exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq but through Electronic Communication Networks (ECNs). ECNs are automated systems that directly match buyers’ and sellers’ limit orders, allowing individual investors to participate.

Characteristics of Extended-Hours Trading

Extended-hours trading differs significantly from regular trading sessions in several ways:

• Lower Trading Volume: Over 90% of trading activity occurs during regular hours. The total volume in pre-market and after-hours is usually less than 11% of the market’s total trading volume, meaning liquidity is significantly reduced.
• High Price Volatility: Many companies choose to release important earnings reports or announcements after the close. In fact, up to 95% of listed companies announce quarterly earnings outside regular trading hours. These major news events can cause sharp short-term price swings. For example, after a company releases better-than-expected earnings, its stock price may gap significantly higher in after-hours trading; conversely, sudden negative news like a CEO resignation can cause the stock to plummet in pre-market.
• Limited Order Types: Most brokers’ extended-hours trading systems only accept limit orders (Limit Order), not market orders (Market Order), to protect you from extreme price fluctuations.

Risks of Participating in Extended-Hours Trading

Before deciding to participate in pre-market and after-hours trading, you must clearly understand the risks involved. The SEC specifically reminds individual investors to note the following:

• Liquidity Risk: With fewer participants, you may not be able to execute at your desired price, or certain stocks may have no trading at all.
• Wider Spread Risk: The gap between bid and ask prices may widen, increasing your trading costs.
• Price Volatility Risk: Low volume can exacerbate price swings. News released after hours often has a more dramatic impact on stock prices than during regular sessions.
• Professional Competition Risk: In extended hours, your counterparties are likely to be better-informed professional institutional traders.

In summary, pre-market and after-hours trading offer opportunities to react quickly to breaking news, but you must be prepared for higher risks.

Special Trading Days: Holidays and Half-Day Sessions

In addition to regular trading days, you also need to know the US stock market’s closure arrangements on specific holidays. These special trading days will affect your trading plans, and knowing them in advance can help you avoid unnecessary waiting.

List of Major US Public Holiday Closures

US stocks markets fully close on major federal holidays. You should mark these dates on your trading calendar. The following is the 2025 US stock market holiday schedule, allowing you to plan ahead.

A Practical Tip

When a holiday falls on a weekend, the market usually closes on the nearest weekday (Friday or Monday).

Special Arrangements for Half-Day Trading Sessions

In addition to full-day closures, the US stock market also schedules “half-day sessions” on certain days around holidays, meaning early closure. On these days, the regular trading session typically ends at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

Known half-day trading sessions in 2025 include:

• Day Before Independence Day (July 3)
• Day After Thanksgiving (November 28), commonly known as “Black Friday”
• Christmas Eve (December 24)

On these dates, after-hours trading will also start earlier accordingly. You need to pay special attention to avoid missing trading times.

How to Check the Latest US Stock Market Holiday Calendar

Although the above list covers most cases, market closure arrangements may occasionally be adjusted. To obtain the most accurate information, you can check through the following reliable channels:

• Visit Official Exchange Websites: Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) official sites both publish detailed annual holiday schedules.
• Follow Authoritative Financial Media: Professional financial news sites like Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) also provide clear stock market holiday calendars.

Regularly checking these official sources is the best habit to ensure your trading plan is foolproof.

Now you have mastered the essentials of US stock trading hours. You only need to remember two key opening points: Daylight Saving Time corresponds to 9:30 PM Beijing time, while Standard Time is delayed by one hour to 10:30 PM.

March and November each year are critical periods for time switching, and you must double-check the accurate US stock market opening time in Beijing time before placing orders to prevent mistakes due to time changes.

We recommend bookmarking this article and using it as your quick reference handbook for trading hours in the future, helping you accurately seize every trading opportunity.

FAQ

What is the simplest difference between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time?

You can simply remember two key opening times. Daylight Saving Time corresponds to opening at 9:30 PM Beijing time. Standard Time is delayed by one hour overall, corresponding to opening at 10:30 PM Beijing time.

When exactly does Daylight Saving Time start and end in 2025?

The United States follows the “second Sunday in March” and “first Sunday in November” rules. For 2025, the specific dates are:

• Daylight Saving Time Starts: March 9, 2025
• Daylight Saving Time Ends: November 2, 2025

You should pay special attention to time changes around these two dates.

Can all stocks be traded in pre-market and after-hours sessions?

Not all stocks can. Generally, only highly active large-cap stocks have sufficient liquidity to support extended-hours trading. Some small-cap or low-volume stocks may not find counterparties in pre-market or after-hours. Your broker will also determine which stocks you can trade.