Extended trading hours
In addition to trading during extended trading hours on selected US stocks, we offer the ability to speculate on popular indices and commodities almost 24/5. You can also trade on forex from Sunday night through to Friday evening. View our range of markets
Trading during extended hours allows you to speculate on selected US shares ahead of the underlying market open at 2.30pm, and after the underlying market close at 9pm (all UK times).* This allows you to manage your positions and risk with more flexibility, as you can react earlier to earnings reports, which are usually released either before or after the core market session (2.30pm-9pm)*. Similarly, you're also able to react to breaking market news or global events which may impact these US shares.
*Please note: there is a three-week period during March, and one week in October, between the US and UK clocks changing for daylight saving time (DST), when the underlying US exchanges will open and close one hour earlier than usual. During these periods, 24/5 shares trading will start at midnight (instead of 1am) on Monday, through to 9pm (instead of 10pm) on Friday (UK times).
Yes, there is a higher risk when you trade outside of the core trading session hours (when the underlying exchange is closed). There is likely to be a greater level of price volatility, due to lower trading volumes. This is because there are fewer participants than during normal market hours, resulting in less liquidity, which means that markets are more volatile as a result.
These market conditions mean that prices are likely to fluctuate more rapidly than usual, and some trades could be more difficult to execute, owing to the lower trading volumes. Our spreads may also be wider compared with the main trading session.
Our order types and execution function as normal during extended-hours trading, although we lower trading and position limits compared with the main trading session. This helps us to manage risk during periods of lower liquidity in the market. Account liquidations also function as normal, so it’s important to ensure that your account is properly funded, and that you allow enough time to deposit funds, if required.
The liquidation process operates in the same way as during the core market hours, ensuring a seamless trading experience. While liquidity levels during extended hours may vary, our systems are designed to manage this effectively, aiming to close positions at the best available price, in line with our Order Execution Policy. In this policy, you can learn more about liquidations and how they work.
Our spreads may vary during extended trading hours. This is because there are likely to be fewer market participants, which results in less liquidity in the market compared with trading during the main US session open times of 2.30pm-9pm (UK time).*
Our spreads reflect the underlying market conditions. This is typical in extended trading hours across global markets. This means that you may have a higher spread cost if you trade during extended hours. You can view the current spread in the platform, directly on the order ticket.
*The core US session trading hours, when the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are open, is 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time). Please note: there is a three-week period during March, and one week in October, between the US and UK clocks changing for daylight saving time (DST), when the underlying US exchanges will open and close one hour earlier than usual. During these periods, 24/5 shares trading will start at midnight (instead of 1am) on Monday, through to 9pm (instead of 10pm) on Friday (UK times). Extended trading hours on US shares will run from 8am to midnight (instead of 9am to 1am the following day), Monday to Thursday, and from 8am to 9pm (instead of 9am to 10pm) on Friday.
No, there are no additional trading costs or fees, as our costs remain the same as during regular market hours. However, spreads may be wider compared with the main US market session hours of 2.30pm-9pm (UK time)*. This is because there are generally fewer participants in the market compared with the core market hours, and this results in less liquidity, which in turn means that markets are more likely to be volatile.
*The core or main US session trading hours, when the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are open, is 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time). Please note: there is a three-week period during March, and one week in October, between the US and UK clocks changing for daylight saving time (DST), when the underlying US exchanges will open and close one hour earlier than usual. During these periods, 24/5 shares trading will start at midnight (instead of 1am) on Monday, through to 9pm (instead of 10pm) on Friday (UK times).
During extended trading hours, our share instruments are priced from the various available exchanges. Prices may differ slightly compared with trading during the core session of 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time)*, as a result of varying levels of market activity.
*The core or main US session trading hours, when the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are open, is 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time). Please note: there is a three-week period during March, and one week in October, between the US and UK clocks changing for daylight saving time (DST), when the underlying US exchanges will open and close one hour earlier than usual. During these periods, 24/5 shares trading will start at midnight (instead of 1am) on Monday, through to 9pm (instead of 10pm) on Friday (UK times).
Yes, our full range of order types is supported during extended-hours trading, including market and limit orders. Learn more about our order types
Lower trading limits, where we reduce the maximum order size available, help to mitigate the higher risks associated with reduced liquidity during extended trading hours. This helps to ensure a stable and secure trading environment for all our customers.