If you invest in the U.S. stock market, you must know the trading hours and U.S. stock market holiday dates. In particular, because the time zone differs from Korea by more than 13 hours, it is easy to miss the exact trading times, and considering daylight saving time makes things even more complicated. In this article, I will organize and explain the trading hours by major U.S. stock exchange, the 2026 holiday schedule, and a comparison table based on Korean time.

The U.S. stock market is broadly divided into three exchanges. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), established in 1792, is the largest exchange in the world, with traditional large companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, and Walmart listed. NASDAQ, founded in 1971, is a later entrant, but it has grown rapidly and is mainly made up of IT companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. The American Stock Exchange (AMEX) primarily lists mid-sized and small companies. The regular trading hours for all three exchanges are the same.

Regular trading hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In Korea, this corresponds to 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, daylight saving time applies and the clocks move forward by 1 hour, so the hours become 10:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the next day. The pre-market session (trading before the market opens) runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and the after-hours session (trading after the market closes) runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The U.S. stock market differs from Korea in that it has no price limit bands.

U.S. stock market holidays are determined based on U.S. national holidays and certain commemorative days. For 2026, the holiday schedule includes: January 1 (New Year’s Day), January 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), February 16 (Presidents’ Day), April 3 (Good Friday), May 25 (Memorial Day), June 19 (Juneteenth), July 3 (the day before Independence Day, early close), July 4 (Independence Day), September 7 (Labor Day), November 26 (Thanksgiving Day), November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving Day, early close), December 24 (Christmas Eve, early close), and December 25 (Christmas). On early close days, the market closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which is 2:00 a.m. in Korea the next day.

If you are an investor who trades not only in the U.S. market but also exchanges in Korea, Japan, the UK, China, and Hong Kong, you should compare the trading times of each exchange. The Korea Exchange operates from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the Tokyo Stock Exchange operates from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (excluding the lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.); the London Stock Exchange operates from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (5:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Korean time); the Hong Kong Stock Exchange operates from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (excluding lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., which is 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Korean time); and the Shanghai Stock Exchange operates from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (excluding lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., which is 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Korean time).

To achieve successful investing, knowing the exact trading hours is essential. U.S. stock market holidays and trading hours may change, so it is best to check the latest information at all times. Preparing in advance for differences from Korean time, whether daylight saving time applies, and whether you can trade during the pre-market and after-hours sessions will help you plan your trading strategy.