TL;DR
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) opens at 08:00 and closes at 16:30 UK time, Monday to Friday. The NYSE and NASDAQ open at 14:30 UK time and close at 21:00. The peak liquidity window is 14:30 to 16:30 when London and New York overlap. UK time is BST (GMT+1) in summer and GMT in winter; exchange local times stay fixed year-round.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Key Facts
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London Stock Exchange hours
The LSE operates Monday to Friday with a regular session from 08:00 to 16:30 UK local time - British Summer Time (BST, GMT+1) from late March to late October, and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) from late October to late March. The local open and close times do not change with the clocks: the exchange always opens at 08:00 and closes at 16:30 in London local time. A brief two-minute pause from 12:00 to 12:02 covers an automated midday auction. Total daily trading time is 8 hours 28 minutes. Most other major exchanges run five to seven hours. The LSE does not open on UK public bank holidays. Source: London Stock Exchange published market hours; World Federation of Exchanges market statistics October 2025.
NYSE and NASDAQ hours in UK time
The NYSE and NASDAQ both run from 09:30 to 16:00 Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, with no lunch break.
| Event | Eastern Time | UK BST (summer) | UK GMT (winter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYSE/NASDAQ open | 09:30 ET | 14:30 BST | 14:30 GMT |
| NYSE/NASDAQ close | 16:00 ET | 21:00 BST | 21:00 GMT |
The UK-to-US time difference is four hours in summer (BST vs EDT) and five hours in winter (GMT vs EST). The US and UK switch clocks on different dates each spring and autumn, creating a brief one-to-two week window when the offset temporarily differs by one hour. Early-close days 2026: 27 November and 24 December, both closing at 13:00 ET (18:00 UK time). Source: NYSE and NASDAQ 2026 holiday calendars.
All major exchanges in UK time (BST summer)
| Exchange | Open (BST) | Close (BST) | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (LSE) | 08:00 | 16:30 | 8h 28m |
| Frankfurt (Xetra) | 08:00 | 16:30 | 8h 30m |
| Euronext (Paris/Amsterdam) | 08:00 | 16:30 | 8h 30m |
| New York (NYSE/NASDAQ) | 14:30 | 21:00 | 6h 30m |
| Toronto (TSX) | 14:30 | 21:00 | 6h 30m |
| Tokyo (TSE/JPX) | 00:00 | 06:00 | 5h 30m (incl. lunch) |
| Hong Kong (HKEX) | 01:30 | 08:00 | 5h 30m (incl. lunch) |
| Sydney (ASX) | 00:00 | 06:00 | 6h |
All times are BST (summer). Tokyo does not observe daylight saving; its GMT times are fixed year-round. Sources: JPX (jpx.co.jp); HKEX (hkex.com.hk); ASX (asx.com.au); World Federation of Exchanges 2025.
The London-New York overlap
From 14:30 to 16:30 UK time, both the LSE and the US exchanges are simultaneously open. London and New York together account for over 60% of global equity market capitalisation (World Federation of Exchanges). Spreads on major equities are typically tightest during this two-hour window, institutional order flow is heaviest, and price discovery is most efficient. The NYSE closing auction begins at approximately 20:50 UK time (15:50 ET), concentrating significant volume in the final minutes before the US close.
Asian exchange hours
The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE/JPX) runs from 09:00 to 15:30 Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9), with a lunch break from 11:30 to 12:30 JST. Japan does not observe daylight saving; JST is always UTC+9. In UK BST, the TSE session runs approximately 00:00 to 06:00. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) operates 09:30 to 16:00 HKT (UTC+8) with a lunch break, equating to approximately 01:30 to 08:00 BST. The Sydney ASX session in UK summer time is approximately 00:00 to 06:00 BST. Source: JPX (jpx.co.jp); HKEX (hkex.com.hk); ASX (asx.com.au).
Extended hours and weekend trading
NYSE and NASDAQ offer extended hours: pre-market 04:00 to 09:30 ET (09:00 to 14:30 UK time in summer) and after-hours 16:00 to 20:00 ET (21:00 to 01:00 UK time). Liquidity is significantly lower and spreads wider in extended sessions. No major equity exchange opens for regular share trading on Saturday or Sunday. Weekend price movements in financial media refer to futures contracts. UK bank holidays when the LSE is closed in 2026: 1 January, 3 April, 6 April, 4 May, 25 May, 31 August, 25 December, 28 December. US holidays when NYSE and NASDAQ are closed include New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth (19 June), Independence Day (4 July), Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Disclaimer: Trading hours reflect published exchange schedules as of June 2026. Always verify with the relevant exchange before trading. This page is educational only. Kaeltripton Ltd is not FCA-authorised and this is not investment advice.
When does the London Stock Exchange open?
08:00 UK local time (BST in summer, GMT in winter), Monday to Friday. It closes at 16:30. Source: London Stock Exchange (londonstockexchange.com).
What time does the US stock market open in the UK?
14:30 UK time, in both summer (BST) and winter (GMT). The NYSE and NASDAQ close at 21:00 UK time.
Is the stock market open on weekends?
No. All major equity exchanges are closed Saturday and Sunday. Weekend price movements refer to futures contracts, not live share trading.
When is the best time to trade UK and US stocks?
The 14:30 to 16:30 UK time window, when both London and New York are simultaneously open, offers the tightest spreads and highest combined volume.
Does daylight saving time change stock market hours?
Exchange local times stay fixed. Only the UTC offset shifts. Brief misalignments occur during the one-to-two weeks each spring and autumn when the UK and US change clocks on different dates.
Sources
London Stock Exchange trading hours (londonstockexchange.com); NYSE 2026 holiday calendar (nyse.com); NASDAQ 2026 holiday schedule (nasdaq.com); Japan Exchange Group session times (jpx.co.jp); HKEX trading hours (hkex.com.hk); ASX market hours (asx.com.au); World Federation of Exchanges Market Statistics October 2025; CMC Markets stock market trading hours June 2026.
