Are the U.S. stock markets open today? Complete Guide to 2026 U.S. Stock Market Opening Hours and Market Holidays

Want to trade U.S. stocks in Taiwan? The first thing to clarify is: Are the U.S. markets open now? Instead of checking every time, it’s better to understand the regular opening hours. Currently, the U.S. is observing winter time, so Taiwanese investors can expect relatively stable U.S. stock market hours, with regular trading sessions from 10:30 PM to 5:00 AM Taiwan time.

Is the U.S. stock market open now? Check real-time local Taiwan time

Unlike Taiwan’s single stock exchange, the U.S. has three major stock exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). Although each operates independently, their opening and closing times are mostly synchronized, which is good news for investors—no need to track each exchange separately.

Note that the U.S. observes daylight saving time (DST) and standard time, while Taiwan stays on the same time zone year-round. As of February 2026, the U.S. is in standard time, effective from 2:00 AM on November 2, 2025, until the second Sunday in March. This means you need to adjust your trading schedule seasonally.

U.S. stock regular trading, pre-market, and after-hours hours

U.S. stock trading occurs in three main phases:

Pre-market trading: 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM Eastern Time, corresponding to 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM Taiwan time (winter time) or 4:30 PM – 9:30 PM (summer time). Pre-market has lower participation and liquidity.

Regular trading hours: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time, which is 10:30 PM – 5:00 AM Taiwan time (winter) or 9:30 PM – 4:00 AM (summer). This is the main trading session with the highest volume and most stable prices.

After-hours trading: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time, corresponding to 5:00 AM – 9:00 AM Taiwan time (winter) or 4:00 AM – 8:00 AM (summer). Participation is also lower here.

Most Taiwanese investors focus on regular hours due to higher liquidity and more representative prices.

U.S. stock market hours in Taiwan time (winter vs. summer)

Because the U.S. switches between standard and daylight saving time, Taiwanese investors should pay attention to time differences. The table below clearly compares the specific hours under both time systems:

The key dates for time changes are the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. Investors should automatically adjust their trading plans on these days.

2026 U.S. stock market holidays and early close days

When planning trades, it’s important to know when the market is closed. U.S. markets close on major federal holidays. The 2026 holiday schedule is as follows:

Some holidays feature early closes instead of full closures; investors should be aware to avoid misjudging trading times.

Comparing the opening rules of the three major U.S. exchanges

To understand U.S. market opening rules more deeply, it’s helpful to know about the three main exchanges. Although they open simultaneously, they differ in trading methods and listed stock characteristics.

NYSE (New York Stock Exchange): The world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization, listing over 3,500 securities, mainly large-cap blue-chip and traditional industrial companies. While electronic trading is dominant, floor trading still plays a role for large institutional orders.

NASDAQ: The world’s first electronic stock exchange, entirely digital and different from traditional physical exchanges. Investors trade via phone or internet directly. NASDAQ is known for high-tech giants like Microsoft and Apple, attracting growth-oriented investors.

NYSE American (formerly AMEX): The third-largest U.S. exchange, focusing on small- and mid-cap stocks. It’s the only exchange that trades stocks, futures, and derivatives simultaneously. After merging with NYSE in 2008, it’s now called NYSE American.

All three exchanges open at the same time, so investors only need to master the unified U.S. stock market hours without adjusting strategies for different venues.

Essential pre-trade info: U.S. stock trading rules and fees

Besides opening hours, investors should understand basic trading rules. U.S. stocks are traded in USD, with a minimum of 1 share per trade—quite different from Taiwan’s 100-share lot.

Settlement follows T+3, meaning three business days after the trade date. Commission fees typically range from 0.5% to 1% for electronic orders, and about 1% for manual orders. Compared to Taiwan’s fixed fees, the percentage-based structure benefits large-volume traders.

Other major stock markets’ opening hours (relative to Taiwan time)

If you plan to diversify globally, here are the opening hours of other key markets relative to Taiwan time:

Mastering U.S. market hours and holiday rules is the first step toward becoming a seasoned investor. We hope this guide helps Taiwanese investors better grasp trading opportunities and avoid missing key windows due to time misunderstandings.