How Trading Hours Vary by Region
Published Monday, September 12, 2022 by TradingHours.com
Americas and Europe
Most markets in the west operate on a Monday to Friday schedule. Their open hours vary widely from from 12 hours per day to just 6 and a half hours a day.
This the typical schedule for largest exchanges in the world including the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, London Stock Exchange, and other smaller exchanges in the west. Many exchanges in North and South America are open the same exact times as the NYSE and NASDAQ. These are the two largest exchanges in the world so it is convenient for investors when these markets are open at the same times. Some exchanges in South America operate on New York's timezone even though the rest of the country uses a different timezone.
Asian Markets
Asian Markets such as the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange are open much less than their wester counterparts even though these Asian markets are just as large. Tokyo and Shanghai are the second and third largest markets in terms of market cap in the world, respectively.
Japan's Tokyo Stock Exchange's day is just a half hour shorter than New York's but the big difference is that Tokyo closes for lunch for 1 hours every day. This difference adds up. JPX is open just 25 hours a week and SSE is open just 20 hours per week. These lunch breaks are part of the culture in Asia. No exchanges outside of Asia close for lunch.
It is also important to note that markets in Asia can close unexpected at times. Especially in China where the government tries to stabilize stock prices by reducing liquidity, markets will sometimes close early on days with particular poor performance. This gives investors time to process information and prevents huge swings in prices.
Middle Eastern Markets
Middle Eastern markets, in general, are open for the fewest hours each week. These markets do not close for lunch but they are open for only a few hours each day and many are open for less than 5 days a week. The Egyptian Exchange (EGX), for example, is open just 4.5 hours each day from Sunday to Thursday.
Many exchanges in the Middle East are also open on different days than other exchanges around the world. The work week in these countries is typically from Sunday to Thursday and are closed on Friday and Saturday. This is typical for many businesses in this region.