Extended trading hours
Trading during extended hours allows you to speculate on selected US shares and ETFs ahead of the underlying market open at 3.30pm, and after the underlying market close at 10pm (CET).*
This allows you to manage your positions and your risk with more flexibility, as you can react quickly to earnings reports, which are usually released either before or after the core market session (3.30pm-10pm)*. Similarly, you're also able to react to breaking market news or global events which may impact these US shares.
*Please note that there is a three-week period during March, and one week in October, when the US (EST) and central European time (CET) zones switch to daylight saving time (DST) on different dates. During these periods, the underlying US exchanges will open and close one hour earlier than usual.
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.
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 market session hours of 3:30pm-10pm (CET). 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
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 3:30pm to 10pm (CET), as a result of varying levels of market activity.
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.