The most confusing thing about trading US stocks is the time zone, so I’ve organized the schedule for 2026 this time. The US stock market is open from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, which is 11:30 PM to 6:00 AM Korean time. During daylight saving time, the hours are moved forward by one hour, so be careful.

The trading hours for the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and the American Securities Exchange are all the same. NYSE has been operating since 1792 and is the largest exchange in the world, while NASDAQ is home to many IT companies. The American Securities Exchange mainly trades mid-sized and small companies.

It’s also good to know the US holidays in advance. For 2026, the holidays are New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19), Presidents’ Day (February 16), Good Friday (April 3), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 3), Labor Day (September 7), Thanksgiving (November 26), and Christmas (December 25).

In addition to US holidays, there are days with early closing. On the day before Independence Day (July 2), the day after Thanksgiving (November 27), and Christmas Eve (December 24), the market closes at 1 PM Eastern Time. That’s 2 AM Korean time, so keep this in mind when planning trades.

Unlike Korea, the US stock market has no price limit bands. Settlement is completed two business days later, and pre-market (4 AM to 9:30 AM) and after-hours (4 PM to 8 PM) trading are also available. Trades are only conducted in US dollars, so exchange rates should also be considered.

People may also trade in markets like Korea, Japan, the UK, and China, each with different hours. Tokyo operates from 9 AM to 3 PM, London from 8 AM to 4:30 PM, and Hong Kong from 9:30 AM to 4 PM. London observes daylight saving time, and Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai close during lunchtime, so it’s helpful to know these details in advance.