Extended Trading Hours FAQs

Currently, you can trade on the ‘magnificent seven’ US tech shares, namely Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla, in the pre-market session from 9am (UK time), right through to the close of the underlying market, which is at 9pm (UK time). The core or main US session trading hours, when the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are open, is 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time).

Please note that there is a three-week period during March, and one week in October, between the US and UK clocks changing for daylight saving time (DST), when the underlying US exchanges will open and finish one hour earlier than usual. During these periods, pre-market trading will begin at 8am and finish at 8pm (UK time).

In addition to the ability to trade during extended trading hours on the magnificent seven US stocks, we offer the ability to speculate on popular indices and commodities almost 24/5. You can also trade on forex from Sunday night through to Friday evening.

View our range of markets here.

Trading on the ‘magnificent seven’ stocks during the pre-market extended hours (which are from 9am to 2.30pm, UK time) allows you to speculate on these popular US tech shares ahead of the underlying market open at 2.30pm. This allows you to manage your positions and your risk with more flexibility, as you can react earlier to earnings reports, which are usually released either before or after the core underlying market hours of 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time), as well as other possible breaking news or global events which may impact these US shares.

Yes, there is a higher risk when you trade outside of the core trading session hours (when the underlying exchange is closed). There is likely to be a greater level of price volatility, due to lower trading volumes. This is because there are fewer participants than during normal market hours, resulting in less liquidity, which means that markets are more volatile as a result.

These market conditions mean that prices are likely to fluctuate more rapidly than usual, and some trades could be more difficult to execute, owing to the lower trading volumes. Our spreads may also be wider compared with the main trading session.

Our order types and execution function as normal during extended-hours trading, although we lower trading and position limits compared with the main trading session. This helps us to manage risk during periods of lower liquidity in the market. Account liquidations also function as normal, so it’s important to ensure that your account is properly funded, and allow enough time to deposit funds, if required.

Our spreads may vary during extended-hours trading (9am-2.30pm, UK time), as there is less liquidity in the market due to fewer market participants, compared with the main trading session (2.30pm-9pm, UK time). Our spreads reflect the underlying market conditions. This is typical in pre-market trading across global markets. This means that you may have a higher spread cost if you trade during extended hours. You can view the current spread in the platform, directly on the order ticket.

No, there are no additional trading costs or fees, as our costs remain the same as during regular market hours. However, spreads may be wider compared with the main market session hours of 2.30pm-9pm (UK time). This is because there are generally fewer participants in the market compared with the core market hours, and this results in less liquidity, which in turn means that markets are more likely to be volatile.

During extended trading hours, our share instruments are priced from the various available exchanges. Prices may differ slightly compared with trading during the core session of 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time), as a result of varying levels of market activity.

Yes, our full range of order types are supported during extended-hours trading, including market and limit orders.

Learn more about our order types here.

Lower trading limits, where we reduce the maximum order size available, help to mitigate the higher risks associated with reduced liquidity during extended-hours trading. This helps to ensure a stable and secure trading environment for all our customers.

The liquidation process operates in the same way as during the core market hours, ensuring a seamless trading experience. While liquidity levels during extended hours may vary, our systems are designed to manage this effectively, aiming to close positions at the best available price, in line with our Order Execution Policy.