The stock market is a place where the issuing and trading of shares, bonds and other securities of public listed companies take place. As an essential part of the free-market economy, stock market provides opportunities for publicly held companies to sell or buy stocks or shares that confer an ownership interest. Here are the trading hours of all the major stock markets in the world

United States

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the world’s largest stock marketing platform located in the New York City. The trading hours of the NYSE is from 9:30 am to 4.00 pm (local time). It will be closed for nine American holidays and closes at 1.00 pm on the following days: the day after Black Friday, the day before Independence Day and for the Christmas Eve.

The Nasdaq, an American stock exchange, is the second largest stock market in the world in terms of market capitalization.  It is also the largest electronic trading platform as most of the stock exchanges happen electronically. The Nasdaq has mainly three trading sessions (local time):

• Pre-market trading hours from 4.00 am to 9:30 am.
• Normal trading hours from 9:30 am to 4.00 pm
• After-market hours from 4.00 pm to 8 pm.

Canada’s Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is the world’s ninth largest stock exchange in the world located in Toronto, Canada. It is the third largest stock exchange in the world. The Toronto Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 am and closes at 4 pm (local time) without any breaking hours.

Asia

The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), the world’s fifth-largest stock exchange and one of the two independently operating stock exchanges by the People’s Republic of China. The trading hours of the Shanghai Stock Exchange is from 9:30 am to 3.00 pm (local time) with breaking hours from 11:30 am to 1.00 pm.

Japan’s Tokyo Stock Exchange is the fourth largest stock exchange in the world headquartered in Tokyo. Its normal trading hours start from 9.00 am to 3 pm (local time) with a lunch break from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange considered as the sixth largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization. It operates mainly based on the three largest stocks: PetroChina, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Mobile. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange works from 9:30 am to 4 pm (local time) with a one-hour lunch break from 12.00 pm to 1.00 pm.

Europe

As one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) shares the world’s third-largest position in terms of market capitalization.  It opens at 8 am and closes at 4:30 pm (local time) without any break.

Euronext Paris based in France is the second largest stock exchange in Europe after the London Stock Exchange. It is formerly known as Paris Bourse. The trading hours of Euronext Paris start from 9 am to 5:30 pm local time with no lunch time.

The Swiss Exchange is Switzerland’s primary stock exchange market located in Zurich. It is the stock exchange that incorporated a fully automated trading, clearing and settlement system for the first time in the world. The Swiss Exchange operates normally from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (local time) without lunch break.