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By Will Ellis

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Last Updated on November 24, 2022

If you are looking to become a trader in the American stock market, there are multiple large entities that you need to be very familiar with. Now more than ever, a strong grasp of each component of the trading world will make you a better investor.

You have likely heard about the NASDAQ, S&P 500, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Dow Jones, but do you know what they are? Do you know how they operate? Do you know when these massive American financial institutions open and close?

You should because this affects when you can trade, how much you can trade, and how successful you can be on Wall Street.

When Does The NASDAQ Close?

NASDAQ is an enormous global marketplace that is used to buy and sell securities. You might wonder what NASDAQ stands for. It’s tough to remember but it is “National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. 

NASDAQ began as part of the National Association of Securities Dealer and was launched with the advent of powerful electronic trading systems in February of 1971. 

Today, NASDAQ operates 29 markets, in both the US and Europe as well. It lists many of the world’s most successful and well known technology companies and is generally considered a great way to monitor the health and strength of the modern world of technological companies. 

NASDAQ is open on weekends from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Eastern Time Zone.

When Does The S&P 500 Close?

The S&P 500 has hours that are exactly like NASDAQ’s: 9:30 AM to 4:400 PM, Eastern Time Zone.

The S&p 500 Indeed is the Standard & Poor’s 500, a weighted index of 500 of the leading publicly traded companies solely in the United States. It is considered one of the best ways to figure out the performance and stability of American companies and the stock market as a whole.

When Does the NYSE Close?

The NYSE also closes at 4:00 PM, Eastern Time Zone, after opening every weekday at 9:00 AM.

It is a major stock exchange that is located in New York, hence the title New York Stock Exchange. It is now the largest equities-based exchange in the world and it allows traders to raise capital and improve their company’s standing in the economy. 

Via the NYSE, people are able to buy and sell stocks and invest in companies. It is estimated that more than 2 billion shares are exchanged every single day on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. 

When Does The Dow Jones Close?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opens at 9:00 AM Eastern Time every weekday and closes at 4 PM. However, it also offers after hours reading that runs from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

The Dow Jones groups together 30 of the most traded stocks on the NYSE and the NASDAQ. By doing so, it judges the overall health and well-being of both of those markets and the stocks involved. 

The Dow Jones focuses on blue chip stocks, which are some of the biggest and most successful ones available to traders.