Time management is really important when trading U.S. stocks. To trade the U.S. stock market from Korea, you have to trade at night due to the time difference, and missing the market close can ruin your plans. Especially since U.S. market holidays are completely different from Korea’s, you need to check them in advance.

The major U.S. exchanges are NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX, and their trading hours are the same. Regular trading hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which is 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Korean time. From March to November, when daylight saving time is in effect, the hours are moved forward by one hour. The pre-market opens at 4:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and the after-hours market runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

In 2026, the U.S. market holidays are New Year’s Day on January 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, Presidents’ Day on February 16, Good Friday on April 3, Memorial Day on May 25, Juneteenth on June 19, Independence Day on July 3, Labor Day on September 7, Thanksgiving on November 26, and Christmas on December 25. The markets are completely closed on these days, so trading is impossible.

You also need to be aware of early closures. On the day before Independence Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, the market closes early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. That’s midnight Korea time. Missing this window could mean losing trading opportunities.

Unlike Korea, U.S. exchanges do not have price limit bands. If prices drop sharply overnight, it may be difficult to respond quickly, so it’s wise to set stop-loss plans in advance. Settlement occurs two business days later, and all trades are conducted in U.S. dollars.

If you trade on exchanges in Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai as well, you should check each market’s hours too. London has daylight saving time, and Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai have intraday trading breaks, making the schedule more complex.

In conclusion, accurately understanding U.S. market holidays and trading hours is fundamental to successful investing. Good time management can help reduce unnecessary losses.