US stock market to add overnight session from December 6, trading 9 pm to 4 am
From December 6, 2026, US shares can be traded from 9 pm to 4 am, leaving the market open about 23 hours a day, five days a week.
Images are not validated/verified
A major change is coming for those who trade in the US stock market. From December 6, 2026, a new overnight trading session will begin. Shares can be bought and sold in this session from 9 pm to 4 am. As a result, the US market will remain open for trading for about 23 hours a day, five days a week.
Under the current structure, the main session of the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq runs from 9:30 am to 4 pm. Pre-market and after-market trading are available before and after it. The pre-market session begins at 4 am. After-market trading runs from 4 pm to 8 pm.
Under the new arrangement, there will be a one-hour break from 8 pm to 9 pm. After that, the new overnight session will run from 9 pm to 4 am. This will bring total daily trading time to about 23 hours. The aim is to keep the market open in this way from Sunday night to Friday night.
The main reason cited for the change is growing interest from foreign investors. Investors in different time zones will get more time to trade in US stocks. The US market also has to compete with platforms such as crypto and prediction markets, where investing and trading are possible for longer hours than in traditional markets. Exchanges are extending trading hours to meet this rising demand.
Overnight trading is not entirely new. Some alternative trading systems have long handled overnight trades in US shares, but on a very limited scale. According to US Securities and Exchange Commission data, average daily overnight trading volume in August 2026 was about 144.6 million shares, a 359% rise over the previous year. Even so, this is less than 1% of total equity trading volume. In other words, demand for overnight trading has grown rapidly, but most trades still take place during normal trading hours.
Investors outside the US stand to gain the most, as they will get more time to trade in US shares. For example, if big news about a company in Asia comes outside the US market's main trading hours, investors will be able to react to it overnight in the new session. If there is a sudden move in foreign markets or a company makes an important announcement, they will not have to wait for the next main session.
However, longer trading hours do not mean overnight trades will be as smooth as those during the day. Compared with normal trading hours, the overnight market may have fewer buyers and sellers. This can reduce liquidity and widen the gap between buying and selling prices.
