After-Hours Trading Hours
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday–Friday
What is After-Hours Trading?
After-hours trading is an extended session that occurs after the regular NYSE and NASDAQ session closes at 4:00 PM ET. It runs from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding US market holidays and early close days.
After-hours trading is popular for reacting to earnings releases and news events that occur after the closing bell. Volume is significantly lower than regular hours, which means larger price swings on less activity.
Exact After-Hours Schedule
| Session | Eastern Time (ET) | Your Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Market | 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM | - |
| Regular Session | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM | - |
| After-Hours | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM | - |
⚠ After-hours trading is not available today - early close day.
Why Trade After-Hours?
Most S&P 500 companies report earnings after 4:00 PM, so after-hours is the first window to react to results. Fed statements and major economic releases that land during the afternoon also drive immediate price moves. Institutional traders actively manage overnight exposure during this session, and Tokyo's open around 8:00 PM ET begins pricing in Asian sentiment for the following day.
After-Hours Risks
Spreads after hours are typically 3–15× wider than during the regular session. Volume is thin enough that a single large order can shift a stock dramatically. Perhaps most importantly, after-hours earnings moves are frequently reversed when full liquidity returns at 9:30 AM the next day — the open often resets the narrative. Most brokers only accept limit orders, and on early close days (sessions ending at 1:00 PM ET) there is no after-hours session at all.
Broker After-Hours Windows
Most major US brokers support after-hours trading through the full session, with one exception:
| Broker | After-Hours Until |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | 8:00 PM ET |
| Charles Schwab | 8:00 PM ET |
| TD Ameritrade / thinkorswim | 8:00 PM ET |
| Interactive Brokers | 8:00 PM ET |
| Robinhood | 6:00 PM ET |
FAQ
What time does after-hours trading end?
After-hours ends at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. The session runs from the regular close at 4:00 PM ET to 8:00 PM ET. The live countdown above shows the exact time remaining.
Is after-hours trading available on early close days?
No. When the market closes early at 1:00 PM ET — July 3rd, day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve — the after-hours session is cancelled. See the holiday and early close schedule.
Do earnings reports move stocks in after-hours?
Yes. Earnings released after 4:00 PM ET routinely cause large after-hours price moves. But those moves are not always sustained — low volume amplifies swings that often normalize when full liquidity returns at 9:30 AM the next day.
How does after-hours volume compare to regular session volume?
On normal days, after-hours volume is typically 1–5% of regular session volume. It can spike to 10–20% for a stock that just reported earnings. The first 30 minutes (4:00–4:30 PM ET) sees the highest activity as institutional traders wrap end-of-day positioning.