Most US brokers allow it, but the window is shorter than the exchange's
Pre-market trading is buying or selling before the regular US session opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. Of the 13 brokers we cover that sell the real share, 10 offer some form of extended-hours trading and 3 do not offer it or limit it. The catch is the session length: brokers set their own windows, so "pre-market" at one firm is not the same period as at another. US market hours explained.
Two brokers, two different windows
The sessions below are quoted from each broker's own help pages. All times are Eastern.
| Broker | Pre-market | After hours | Overnight | Order types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | 7:00 to 9:28 a.m. | 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. | Not listed | Limit orders only |
| Robinhood | 7:00 to 9:30 a.m. | 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. | 24 Hour Market, Sunday 8 p.m. to Friday 8 p.m. | No market orders; limit orders for the 24 Hour Market |
Fidelity stops its pre-market session two minutes before the open, at 9:28 a.m., and cancels any order that has not filled by the end of the session; you have to enter it again. Robinhood says stop and trailing-stop orders will not execute in extended or overnight hours, and market orders placed then are queued for the regular open. FINRA describes pre-market trading as typically 7 to 9:30 a.m., after hours as roughly 4 to 8 p.m., and overnight trading as roughly 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. for certain stocks.
Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab also offer extended sessions. Their windows can differ by platform and account type, and we could not confirm current times from their pages for this article, so read the hours on their own sites before relying on a figure: Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab.
What we record for each broker
The table lists what each real-share broker in our data says about extended hours. A broker that says "not offered" will not fill a pre-market order, whatever the app shows.
| Broker | Extended hours | Minimum deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | Pre-market and after-hours routing available | None |
| Charles Schwab | Pre-market and after-hours sessions supported | None |
| Fidelity | Extended-hours trading supported | None |
| Robinhood | Extended sessions available, longest on paid tiers | None |
| Webull | Long pre-market and after-hours sessions | None |
| tastytrade | Extended-hours routing available | None |
| Saxo | Available on selected US listings | None |
| IG | Out-of-hours pricing on selected US shares | None |
| Merrill Edge | Available | None |
| moomoo | Pre-market and after-hours supported | None |
| eToro | Not offered on real-stock orders | $50 |
| Trading 212 | Not offered on real-stock orders | $1 |
| Vanguard | Limited | None |
Best brokers for pre-market and after-hours trading ranks the list, and brokers by country shows which ones accept residents where you live.
Why pre-market is riskier than it looks
- Fewer buyers and sellers. FINRA says there are usually fewer counterparties outside regular hours, so an order may fill only in part, or not at all.
- Bigger swings. Thin trading means prices can move sharply, especially on earnings or other news released after the close.
- Limit orders only. Fidelity requires them, and Robinhood does not support market orders in these sessions. Set the limit price you will accept; do not rely on the last price you see.
- Prices differ between venues. FINRA warns that the price at one trading venue may be worse than at another, because the best-price protection that applies in regular hours does not apply in extended hours.
Trading US stocks from abroad before the bell
If you live outside the US, 7 a.m. Eastern is already afternoon in London and evening in Dubai, so pre-market is often the only window that fits your day. Your broker must also accept residents of your country; check that first, then file the W-8BEN so US dividends are taxed at your treaty rate.
A CFD is not pre-market trading
CFD brokers quote their own prices on US shares outside the cash session, but you trade a contract with the broker, not the share. Our partner Capital.com lists extended-hours pricing on selected us shares:
Partner · CFD — no ownership2,200+ US and European stocks and ETFs to own (EEA residents), plus 3,000+ share CFDs, $10 minimum.
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