What Time Does the New York Stock Market Close?

The New York Stock Market can be interpreted to mean the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which facilitates the trading of securities. The "stock market" in the United States also includes other exchanges such as the NASDAQ and the Chicago Stock Exchange. The hours of operation of the NYSE affects the stock market as a whole due to the large volume of trades it executes and the fact that some securities are traded on multiple exchanges.

In 1871 the NYSE opened at 10 a.m. Closing times ranged from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The hours changed over time. In 1985 the NYSE set its hours of operation at 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time and ended Saturday trading. In 1991 it added two trading sessions: 4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. In 2007 the NYSE amended its rule against after-hours trading to allow specialists to trade from their dealer books between 6:30 p.m. and 15 minutes before the security reopens on the exchange. Most transactions still occur during the regular 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. session. Electronic Communication Networks offer electronic after-hours trading for a fee to institutions, brokers and retail clients. The NYSE offers after-hours trading of cash equities from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday to broker dealers.

Analysts and traders traditionally used end-of-the-day trading statistics to make investment decisions. Now that trading continues after the "closing bell," additional overnight statistics must also be considered. Timing the stock market is an issue when investors abused their power by placing trades when other investors were not able to do so. For example, if a trader at a brokerage firm were able to input a trade to buy a stock after learning the ending price had closed down for the day, he would gain at the expense of other investors.

When the NYSE is closed, electronic stock quotes of the price at the end of the last trading day are available to the public. The information is accompanied by a disclosure stating the date of the closing price. For example, an online stock quote on Saturday will indicate the market is currently closed and the stock price is from the previous Friday.

Most of the trades executed on the NYSE are completed automatically and electronically. Without the need for human intervention, a large volume of trades can be processed in a shorter period of time. Still, as the demand for trading increases, alternative trading venues arise.