WHAT IS AFTER-HOURS TRADING?

Investors and traders can access the stock market not only during the regular daytime trading hours but also during the pre-market and post-market.

However, market participants who elect to trade during these extended sessions should know that the pre and post market dynamics can differ significantly from the regular daytime session.

Most are aware that the normal daytime trading session for stocks is conducted on weekdays from 8:30am to 3:00pm Central Standard Time (CST). This period is officially bracketed by the "opening bell" in the morning and the "closing bell" in the afternoon.

Currently, the tastytrade pre-market session opens at 7:00am CST and runs until 8:30am CST, while the post-market session (aka “after-hours session”) runs from 3:00pm CST to 7:00pm CST.

BENEFITS OF TRADING AFTER HOURS

KEEP AN EYE ON EARNINGS

React to and trade company earnings announcements each quarter 

DISCOVER DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES

Speculate on the markets and access more potential opportunities

REACT TO BREAKING NEWS

Place trades and manage positions based on breaking news outside of regular trading sessions

WHAT & WHEN CAN YOU TRADE AFTER HOURS?

With tastytrade, you can extend your reach with a selection of stocks, ETFs, and options beyond regular trading sessions in the intervals below.

STOCKS & ETFS

  • Pre-market trading session: 7:00am to 8:30am CT2
  • Post-market trading session: 3:00 pm to 7:00pm CT
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ETF OPTIONS

  • A selection of ETF options trade until 3:15 pm CT, or 15 minutes after the close of the market
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Learn more about placing orders after hours

*Some orders may be subject to a no cancel period.

WHY TRADE PRE-MARKET AND AFTER-MARKET HOURS WITH US?

ACCESS AN AWARD-WINNING PLATFORM

Use your account via desktop, browser or mobile in and out of market hours on an award-winning platform3

TRADE ON ZERO COMMISSION

Open and close an unlimited number of stock and ETF shares at no commission4

REACT QUICKLY TO NEW INFORMATION

Respond to the latest market and equity news before and after normal hours

ENJOY TOP-NOTCH SUPPORT

Choose your preferred channel of communication and get in touch with tastytrade for support

GO LONG OR SHORT

Take positions on rising or falling stock and ETF prices based on your assumption of how the markets will move5

FOLLOW WATCHLISTS

Keep an eye on a variety of assets through a pre-built watchlist, or create your own

RISKS OF AFTER-HOURS TRADING

Importantly, the dynamics of the pre-market and post-market trading sessions can differ greatly from the regular daytime session, and one of the most important considerations is liquidity—or lack thereof.

Liquidity in the financial markets is defined as the ability to easily convert an asset into cash without significantly affecting the associated market price of that asset. A high degree of liquidity helps ensure that pricing in a given market is as efficient as possible.

Unfortunately, the pre-market and post-market trading sessions frequently offer sub-optimal liquidity. That means, in short, that executing trades during these sessions can significantly affect prices resulting in unfavorable pricing. Slippage is the term to describe a situation when an investor faces difficulty or unfavorable pricing when entering or exiting a trade due to lack of liquidity.

In general, that means an investor or trader attempting to execute an order outside the regular daytime session may not be able to complete their entire order at the posted bid/offer prices, and will therefore be forced to accept a sub-optimal price (sometimes significantly) to complete the order. Investors can also wait until the regular daytime session begins, but there is no guarantee where the market would open.

In addition to suboptimal liquidity, the pre-market and post-market sessions may also be characterized by the following:

  • Inexplicable gap moves
  • Elevated volatility
  • Wider bid-ask spreads

ORDER TYPES

Investors and traders should note that outside of regular trading hours, the order types accepted by the system are also limited. That means "market orders" and "stop orders" can't be entered. Instead, market participants must use limit orders only, which is an order type that guarantees the price you entered or better but doesn’t guarantee a fill. Using limit orders during the extended hours trading session applies to equities, equity options, futures, and options on futures. Traders can select extended hours as their time-in-force (aka "EXT limit") to trade during the pre-market and post-market.

In terms of other securities, options on single stocks are not open for trading outside of the regular daytime trading session, which means options-related transactions in single stocks cannot be executed during the pre-market and post-market sessions. However, some ETF options do continue to trade after the regular daytime session, from 3:00pm to 3:15pm, or 15-minutes after the regular trading session closes.

HOW DO I START TRADING EXTENDED HOURS?

You can start trading out of regular trading sessions by following these steps:

  1. Learn about extended hours trading
  2. Create an account or log in
  3. Decide which market and asset you want to trade
  4. Open, monitor and close your position

OPEN A TRADING ACCOUNT

  • USE A PLATFORM WITH FEATURES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE YOUR TRADING

    Enjoy cutting-edge functionalities built to support all trading experience levels2

  • GET INSPIRATION FOR SAVVY TRADING AND INCREASED MARKET AWARENESS

    Explore concepts and discover new ideas on the Follow Feed and video feed

  • MANAGE POSSIBLE UPSIDE OR DOWNSIDE RISK PROACTIVELY

    Use the portfolio risk analysis tool to take measure of upside and downside risk


TRADE AFTER HOURS ON THE BEST TRADING PLATFORM3

Take positions and manage your portfolio the way you want on the award-winning tastytrade platform. Whether you trade via desktop, browser, or mobile, you’ll enjoy a fast, reliable and secure trading experience.

desktop monitor with tastytrade
Desktop

An immersive trading experience with a simple, intuitive interface.

laptop with tastytrade
Browser

Use our web platform on any browser. Manage accounts, fund, and trade in one place.

phone with tastytrade
Mobile

Stay on top of your trading while you’re on the move. Never miss a market minute.

1After-hours trading is available on a limited basis.
2These hours also pertain to orders by phone, e-mail, or chat to our trade desk. Any unfilled extended hours orders entered during the pre-market or normal trading session (8:30 am CT to 3:00 pm CT) will continue to work and expire at 7:00 pm CT the day it was entered. Also, please be aware that stop orders do not carry over into extended hours.
3Named the Best Online Broker by Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) in its ninth annual survey.
4All stock and ETF trades incur a clearing fee of $0.0008 per share, and applicable exchange and regulatory fees still apply to all opening and closing trades.
5Short-selling stock is only permissible in a margin account.

All investments involve risk of loss. Please carefully consider the risks associated with your investments and if such trading is suitable for you before deciding to trade certain products or strategies. You are solely responsible for making your investment and trading decisions and for evaluating the risks associated with your investments.


tastytrade, Inc. (“tastytrade”) does not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. tastytrade’s website and brokerage services are not intended for persons of any jurisdiction where tastytrade is not authorized to do business or where such products and other services offered by the tastytrade would be contrary to the securities regulations, futures regulations or other local laws and regulations of that jurisdiction. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors as the special risks inherent to options trading may expose investors to potentially significant losses. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before deciding to invest in options.

Futures accounts are not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). All customer futures accounts’ positions and cash balances are segregated by Apex Clearing Corporation. Futures and futures options trading is speculative and is not suitable for all investors. Please read the Futures & Exchange-Traded Options Risk Disclosure Statement prior to trading futures products.

Cryptocurrency transaction and custody services are powered by Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC. Cryptocurrency assets are held and custodied by Zero Hash LLC, not tastytrade. Services may not be available in all states. Cryptocurrency assets are not subject to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) coverage. Cryptocurrency trading is not suitable for all investors due to the number of risks involved. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero.

tastytrade, Inc. was formerly known as tastyworks, Inc.

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