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Things You Must Know to Trade U.S. Stocks
If you're investing in the U.S. stock market, you need to accurately understand the U.S. market holidays and trading hours. Especially since there's a significant time difference with Korea and daylight saving time, it can be confusing. I also once missed a U.S. market holiday, which messed up my trading plans, but organizing this information made it much easier.
The main U.S. stock exchanges are NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX, and their trading hours are all the same. Regular trading hours are from 09:30 to 16:00 Eastern Time, which is 23:30 to 06:00 Korean Time (during daylight saving time, it's 22:30 to 05:00). Pre-market trading occurs from 18:00 to 23:30 Korean Time, and after-hours trading is from 06:00 to 10:00 the next day. The important thing is that, unlike Korea, there are no price limit bands. Sudden drops at night can be hard to respond to, so caution is advised.
You also need to check U.S. market holidays. As of 2026, the markets are closed on 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 4 (Independence Day), September 7 (Labor Day), November 26 (Thanksgiving), and December 25 (Christmas).
Early closures also happen. On July 2, November 27, and December 24, the markets close early at 2:00 a.m. Korean Time. Trading volume can be lower before and after market holidays, so it's better to avoid large positions during these times.
If you also trade Korean, Japanese, UK, or Chinese stocks, it’s helpful to know their trading hours as well. The Korea Exchange operates from 09:00 to 15:30, Tokyo from 09:00 to 15:00 (with a break from 11:30 to 12:30), London from 17:00 to 01:30 (during daylight saving time, 16:00 to 00:30), Hong Kong from 10:30 to 17:00 (break from 13:00 to 14:00), and Shanghai from 10:30 to 16:00 (break from 12:30 to 14:00).
Ultimately, understanding the trading hours and U.S. market holidays allows you to plan your investment strategies much more effectively. Since exchange regulations can change occasionally, always check the latest information.