Once upon a time, stocks could only be traded during the standard Wall Street hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. But over the years, the Nasdaq expanded its pre-market operations, thus enabling investors to begin trading at 4 a.m. Eastern time. Pre-market trading hours are from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. After-hours trading is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The advent of electronic communication networks (ECNs), which match potential buyers and sellers without using a traditional stock exchange, greatly allowed investors to trade stocks outside of normal market hours.
And as Nasdaq’s pre-market incrementally grew over time, investors across different time zones enjoyed the ability to trade stocks with greater convenience than ever before. During pre-market hours, investors can swiftly react to news items such as corporate earnings reports and government economic data announcements.
As such, during pre-market trading, share prices are strongly influenced by political events and other external factors, rather than supply and demand forces.
Key Takeaways
- The Nasdaq and other major stock exchanges have steadily augmented their trading hours to provide investors with more time to buy and sell securities.
- Nasdaq's pre-market operations let investors start trading at 4 a.m. Eastern time.
- Electronic communication networks (ECNs) enable investors to trade stocks during aftermarket hours between 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Expanded trading hours let investors instantly react to corporate news and political events.
- Drawbacks to pre-market trading include higher transaction fees, depressed liquidity, and pricing uncertainties.
Disadvantages of Pre-Market Trading
Pre-market trading can negatively affect prices and volume. This is mainly because there are fewer stock market participants during pre-market hours, which depresses the liquidity of most listed securities. And with low liquidity comes greater volatility.
Spreads between bid and ask prices expand, often swinging widely within a single trading day. As another drawback, it can be difficult to get accurate quotes because even the best ECNs can register reporting delays.
In pre-market trading hours, individual investors often run at a disadvantage to their institutional investor counterparts because of differences in buying power. Let’s assume that the California State Teachers’ Retirement System seeks to purchase a giant block of stock before 9:30 a.m. Let’s further assume that the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System happens to have such a stock block to sell.
Under these circ*mstances, a small solo investor’s bid or ask price is likely to be politely ignored. Of course, even if that small investor’s trade went through, the pre-market transaction fee would likely be significantly higher than fees charged for the same trade during regular market hours.
Nasdaq’s pre-market is officially known as "extended-hours trading."
How Brokers Limit Pre-Market Trading
The institutions that codify Wall Street rules know individual investors may face certain struggles during pre-market hours. Consequently, online brokerages often restrict investors’ ability to fully exploit these trading windows.
Trading Hours
For example, Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) allows traders to place pre-market orders between 8:05 p.m. of the previous trading day and 9:25 a.m. ET, but the orders can only be executed between 7:00 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. ET. After-hours trading orders can be placed and executed between 4:05 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET.
Size and Types of Orders
During pre-market hours, brokerage houses only facilitate limit orders, where securities are bought and sold at specific, pre-declared prices. Contrarily, investors looking to place a market order, where an issue sells at the going market price, may only do so during standard hours.
Also, the number of shares per order is usually restricted. For example, Schwab won’t allow investors to trade more than 25,000 shares.
When Does the Nasdaq Pre-Market Open?
Nasdaq's pre-market operations begin trading at 4 a.m. Eastern time, while the traditional stock market time runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time.
How to Trade the Nasdaq Pre-Market Open?
Investors can trade the Nasdaq pre-market using their current stockbroker; however, some brokers may have their own pre-market trading hours. For example, Charles Schwab allows pre-market orders after 8:05 p.m. of the previous trading day, but those orders will only be filled between 7:00 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. ET.
When Are the Times for Nasdaq's After-Hours Trading?
Nasdaq's after-hours trading runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Bottom Line
Individual investors should weigh the pros and cons of pre-market trading. Although there can be overwhelming risks, there are also potential windfalls for those with the fortitude to take the plunge. Please consult a financial advisor or investment professional to determine if pre-market or extended-hour trading is appropriate for your investment goals and risk tolerance.
