2025 Latest US Stock Market Trading Hours Guide + Beginner Order Placement Tutorial

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Are you interested in investing in leading stocks like Apple (Apple) or NVIDIA (NVIDIA), but confused about US stock market hours? The US stock market is the world’s largest capital market, with its total market capitalization reaching an astonishing $71 trillion as of October 2025.

Master the Latest 2025 US Stock Market Hours Now

• Daylight Saving Time (March to November): Taiwan time 9:30 PM – 4:00 AM
• Standard Time (November to March of the following year): Taiwan time 10:30 PM – 5:00 AM

Key Takeaways

• US stock trading hours are divided into daylight saving and standard time. Daylight saving time runs from March to November (Taiwan time 9:30 PM to 4:00 AM); standard time runs from November to March of the following year (Taiwan time 10:30 PM to 5:00 AM).
• The minimum trading unit for US stocks is very small—you can buy as little as 1 share. There is no daily price limit, but there are “trading halts” and “circuit breaker” mechanisms to protect the market.
• The US stock settlement system is T+1, meaning funds from selling stocks are available one business day later. The same applies when buying—you must have funds ready within one business day.
• There are two ways to invest in US stocks: through “complex entrusted trading” via Taiwanese brokers or directly opening an account with an “overseas broker.” Overseas brokers have lower fees but more complex account opening procedures.
• When placing orders, you can choose “market orders” for immediate execution or “limit orders” to control the price. Beginners are recommended to use “stop-loss orders” frequently to manage risk and prevent larger losses.

Complete Breakdown of US Stock Trading Hours

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To successfully enter the US stock market, the first step is to thoroughly understand its trading rules. The US trading hours differ from Taiwan due to time zones and are split into daylight saving and standard time. The rules may seem complicated, but don’t worry—we’ll explain everything clearly below.

2025 US Stock Market Opening Hours vs. Taiwan Time

To save energy, the United States implements “Daylight Saving Time,” which we commonly refer to as summer time. The exact dates change slightly each year, so you need to remember two key dates to adjust your schedule.

According to official information, the 2025 time changes are as follows:

• Daylight Saving Time (DST): Begins on March 9, 2025.
• Standard Time: Begins on November 2, 2025.

This means that after March 9, US stock market opening hours will move one hour earlier. You can refer to the table below for an easy comparison between US and Taiwan trading hours.

With this table, you’ll never get US stock market hours wrong again.

What Are Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading?

In addition to the regular trading session (also called the core trading session), the US stock market offers “pre-market” and “after-hours” trading. This allows investors to continue trading before the market opens or after it closes.

• Pre-Market Session: Usually from 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM Eastern Time.
• After-Hours Session: Usually from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

These sessions exist mainly to allow the market to react instantly to major news or earnings reports. For example, if a company releases better-than-expected earnings after hours, investors can buy or sell immediately during the after-hours session.

Beginner Caution: Risks of Pre-Market and After-Hours Trading Although extended hours provide more flexibility, they come with specific risks. It’s recommended to focus on regular trading hours at the beginning and only consider extended hours after becoming familiar with the market.

• Low liquidity, wide spreads: Far fewer participants than during regular hours, resulting in larger bid-ask spreads and potentially higher transaction costs.
• High price volatility: A single news item can cause massive price swings in a short time, increasing risk.
• Competing with professional traders: Most participants in these sessions are institutional or professional traders with more information, putting retail investors at a disadvantage.

Data shows that total trading volume in pre-market and after-hours is far lower than during core hours, confirming lower liquidity. Therefore, until you become experienced, treating the regular session from 9:30 PM (or 10:30 PM) to 4:00 AM (or 5:00 AM) Taiwan time as your main battlefield is a more stable strategy.

Complete List of 2025 US Stock Market Holidays

Like the Taiwan stock market, US markets close on national holidays. Knowing these dates in advance helps you plan trading and capital allocation better. Below are the published 2025 holiday closures for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq (source).

On these dates, the US stock market will be fully closed, and no trading is possible.

Special Note: Early Closure Days In addition to full closures, there are a few days when the market closes early at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (1:00 AM or 2:00 AM Taiwan time).

• July 3, 2025 (Thursday): Day before Independence Day.
• November 28, 2025 (Friday): Day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday).
• December 24, 2025 (Wednesday): Christmas Eve.

Remember to mark these dates on your calendar to avoid missing important trading sessions or waiting in vain on closed days.

Three Essential Trading Rules Beginners Must Know

After understanding trading hours, the next step is to master the unique core rules of the US stock market. These three rules are closely related to your capital management and risk control and are foundational knowledge before placing orders.

Rule 1: Trading Units and Price Limit Mechanisms

US stock trading is very flexible—the minimum trading unit is 1 share. This means you don’t need a large amount of capital to become a shareholder of Apple or Google, making it very beginner-friendly.

However, unlike Taiwan stocks with a fixed 10% daily limit, the US uses a mechanism called “Limit Up-Limit Down (LULD)” to give the market a brief cooling-off period during abnormal price movements.

• How it works: The system calculates a dynamic price band based on the stock’s average price over the past 5 minutes.
• Triggering a halt: If the price hits the upper or lower band and stays there for 15 seconds, trading of that stock is paused for 5 minutes.

The percentage width of the price band varies depending on the stock type and price level.

In simple terms, there is no absolute daily price limit in the US market, but there is a per-stock “trading halt” mechanism to prevent runaway prices.

Rule 2: What Is the Circuit Breaker Mechanism?

The circuit breaker is an upgraded, market-wide version of LULD. Instead of targeting individual stocks, it acts as an emergency “master switch” when the entire market experiences a panic sell-off. It is triggered based on the decline of the S&P 500 Index and has three levels:

• Level 1: 7% decline → market halts for 15 minutes.
• Level 2: 13% decline → another 15-minute halt.
• Level 3: 20% decline → market closes for the rest of the day.

For beginners, you only need to know that such a protective mechanism exists during extreme market conditions.

Rule 3: Understanding the T+1 Settlement System (Updated in 2024)

This is one of the most significant changes in US stock trading! Starting May 28, 2024, the settlement cycle was shortened from T+2 to T+1.

• T stands for Trade Date.
• +1 means the transfer of funds and shares is completed on the next business day.

Beginner Tip: How T+1 Affects You

• Faster access to proceeds: If you sell shares on Monday, you can receive the funds as early as Tuesday, allowing quicker reinvestment.
• Shorter payment window: If you buy shares on Monday, your brokerage account must have sufficient funds by Tuesday. This requires more efficient cash flow planning to avoid settlement failures.

This new rule significantly improves capital efficiency in the market—make sure to keep it in mind.

Practical US Stock Order Placement Tutorial

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Congratulations! Once you understand the trading hours and rules, you’ve essentially obtained your ticket to the market. Next comes the most exciting part—hands-on practice. This section will guide you step by step from choosing a brokerage, completing account opening and funding, to understanding the order interface, so you can confidently place your first US stock order.

Step 1: Choose Your Account Opening Channel

There are two main ways to invest in US stocks: complex entrusted trading through Taiwanese brokers or directly opening an account with an overseas broker. Each has its pros and cons—choose the one that best fits your needs.

1. Complex Entrusted Trading: You place orders through a Taiwanese securities firm, which then forwards them to a US executing broker. In short, the Taiwanese broker acts as your intermediary.
2. Overseas Broker: You open an account directly with a US broker (e.g., Firstrade, Charles Schwab, Interactive Brokers) and trade directly in the US market without a middleman.

Which one to choose? Comparison table at a glance To help you decide quickly, we’ve compiled a comparison based on fees, convenience, and product variety.

In Taiwan, the complex entrusted trading market is highly competitive. According to data, Yuanta Securities, KGI Securities, and Fubon Securities hold the largest market shares.

However, convenience comes at a cost—complex entrusted trading typically has higher fees and minimum charges. For example, some brokers charge a minimum of over US$35 per trade, which can be burdensome for small investors.

Step 2: Account Opening Process for Complex Entrusted Trading and Overseas Brokers

Once you’ve chosen your channel, you can start opening an account.

• Complex Entrusted Trading Account Opening This is relatively simple. If you already have a Taiwan stock account, just apply to enable the “complex entrusted trading” function through your broker representative or in person. Usually, you sign a few documents and can activate it the same day.

• Overseas Broker Account Opening and Funding Although it requires some English, the online process of modern overseas brokers is very intuitive. Many brokers like Firstrade and Charles Schwab explicitly support Taiwanese citizens.

  Account Opening Steps (using Firstrade as an example):

  1. Online Application: Visit the broker’s website and complete the online application form. Prepare your passport and upload a clear image.
  2. Wait for Approval: The broker will typically approve within 1–2 business days.
  3. Wire Transfer Funding: After approval, transfer funds from your Taiwanese bank to the overseas brokerage account via wire transfer.

  Three Steps to Wire Money Abroad Easily

  1. Currency Exchange: Convert NTD to USD at your Taiwanese bank first. Overseas brokers do not accept NTD, and exchanging in Taiwan usually gives better rates.
  2. Obtain Wire Instructions: Log into your brokerage account and find the detailed wire transfer instructions under “Deposit” or “Fund Transfer.” This includes the receiving bank’s name, address, SWIFT code, and your unique account number.
  3. Execute the Transfer: You can choose:
     • In-person at bank counter: Bring ID, seal, and broker instructions to the bank.
     • Online banking: If you have foreign currency transfer enabled, complete it from home.

  Wire transfers incur a fee, typically between NT$400 and NT$1,100, depending on the bank.

Step 3: Understanding the Order Interface and Order Types

Once funds are in place, only one step remains—placing the order! Regardless of which broker’s app you use, the order interface is very similar. You need to understand these key fields:

• Buy / Sell: Determines the action you want to take.
• Stock Symbol: Enter the ticker of the company, e.g., Apple is AAPL.
• Quantity: Number of shares you want to buy or sell (minimum 1 share).
• Order Type: Determines how the price is executed—this is the key to your final price.

For beginners, the most important thing is to understand different order types. Here are the three most commonly used:

1. Market Order This is the fastest execution order. Once placed, the system immediately executes at the current best available market price.

• Advantages: Guaranteed execution, fastest speed. Ideal for highly liquid stocks like Apple (AAPL) or Amazon (AMZN) where bid-ask spreads are tiny.
• Disadvantages: No price guarantee. During volatile periods, your execution price may differ significantly from what you saw when placing the order.

2. Limit Order This gives you full control over price. You specify a maximum buy price or minimum sell price.

• Advantages: Guarantees price (or better). You’ll never pay more than your set price when buying or receive less when selling.
• Disadvantages: No execution guarantee. If the market price never reaches your limit, the order won’t fill.

3. Stop-Loss Order An automated risk management tool used primarily to limit losses or lock in profits.

• Stop-Loss Order: Set a stop price. When the stock reaches that price, a market order is triggered to sell. For example, you buy at $100 and set a stop at $90—if the price drops to $90, it sells automatically to limit further loss.
• Stop-Limit Order: Advanced version. When the stop price is hit, a limit order is triggered instead of a market order. This avoids selling at extremely poor prices during gaps but carries the risk of non-execution.

Beginner Strategy: Use Order Types to Manage Risk

• When buying: If you’re not in a rush and care about price, prioritize limit orders.
• While holding: After buying, set a stop-loss order below your cost price—like buying insurance for your investment when you can’t watch the market constantly.

Master these three order types, and you’ll have the core skills needed to trade in the US stock market.

Congratulations on completing this US stock beginner guide! You now possess three core pieces of knowledge:

• The latest US stock trading hours
• Key market rules
• Complete order placement process

Investing in US stocks is not as difficult as it seems—take your first step today! Remember, investing is a long-term learning journey. Always do your own research and avoid emotional trading due to market fluctuations.

The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient. — Warren Buffett

Wishing you a smooth start on your US stock investment journey!

FAQ

We’ve compiled the most common questions beginners have to clear up any remaining doubts.

Do I need a lot of money to invest in US stocks?

Not at all. The minimum trading unit is 1 share. Some overseas brokers even offer fractional shares, allowing you to own part of high-priced stocks with as little as $5—extremely low entry barrier.

Do I have to pay taxes on profits from US stocks?

Capital gains from selling stocks are tax-free for Taiwanese residents. However, dividends are subject to a 30% withholding tax. Filling out Form W-8BEN when opening an account proves your non-US status and applies this rate.

What happens if I place an order outside trading hours?

Your order will be in a “pending” state. It will only be executed on the next trading day according to your order type (market or limit). You can cancel or modify the order anytime before the market opens.

💡 Beginner Tip It’s recommended to use limit orders for orders placed outside trading hours. This prevents market orders from filling at unexpected prices due to opening price gaps.