What After-Hours Trading Is
After-hours trading is any trading that occurs between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. EST, although trading volumes typically dry up long before 8 p.m. Electronic communications networks handle after-hours trading, pairing sellers with buyers instead of through a stock exchange.
Pre-market trading usually takes place between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. EST, although it can start as early as 4 a.m., depending on the exchange and brokerage.
