If you’re staring at a blank ticker waiting for things to move, you're likely waiting for 9:30 AM. That’s the classic answer. But honestly, if you think the action starts when the bell rings on Wall Street, you’ve already missed the most volatile part of the day.
Today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026. It is a perfectly normal trading day in the US, nestled right between the New Year's hangover and the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day break on the 19th. But "normal" is a relative term when you realize that someone, somewhere, is always trading.
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The Standard Schedule: NYSE and Nasdaq
For the vast majority of retail investors, the what time do markets open today question ends here: the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq both open their doors at 9:30 AM Eastern Time (ET). They shut them down at 4:00 PM ET.
It’s the rhythm we’re used to. You see the traders on TV, the blue jackets, the cheering. But that 6.5-hour window is actually shrinking in importance.
The "Invisible" Markets: Pre-Market and After-Hours
While the "Core Trading Session" starts at 9:30 AM, the "Early Trading Session" is already in full swing long before you’ve finished your first cup of coffee.
Most major brokerages now allow you to jump into the Pre-Market as early as 4:00 AM ET.
Why would you do that? Well, earnings reports don't wait for the bell. If a company like NVIDIA or JPMorgan drops news at 7:00 AM, the price will move instantly. If you wait until 9:30 AM to buy or sell, you're basically reacting to the dust that has already settled.
The same applies to the After-Hours session. When the bell rings at 4:00 PM, the "Late Trading Session" takes over until 8:00 PM ET. It's thinner, it's riskier, and the spreads are wider, but it's where the big post-close moves happen.
Global Dominoes: London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong
The US isn't the only game in town. By the time New York wakes up, the rest of the world has already put in a full day's work.
- London Stock Exchange (LSE): It opens at 3:00 AM ET (8:00 AM local) and closes at 11:30 AM ET.
- Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE): They trade while you sleep, opening at 8:00 PM ET and wrapping up by 2:00 AM ET.
- Hong Kong (HKG): Usually active from 9:30 PM ET to 4:00 AM ET.
There is a magical window between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM ET where the US and European markets overlap. This is typically when you see the highest liquidity and the most "real" price discovery.
What About Crypto and Futures?
If you're trading Bitcoin or Ethereum, the question of what time do markets open today is actually kind of irrelevant. Crypto never sleeps. It is a 24/7/365 beast. However, even in the crypto world, volume spikes significantly when the US equity markets open because that’s when the institutional "big money" starts moving their portfolios around.
Futures are the middle ground. S&P 500 futures (the /ES) start trading on Sunday nights at 6:00 PM ET and trade almost continuously until Friday afternoon. They take a tiny breather for an hour every day at 5:00 PM ET, but otherwise, they are the best indicator of where the market will "gap" at the open.
Real-World Nuance: The 9:30 AM Trap
Don't just blindly place market orders at 9:30:01 AM.
The first 15 minutes of the market open are often called the "Amateur Hour." This is when all the pent-up orders from the night before hit the floor at once. Prices can swing wildly in both directions before finding a real trend. Professional traders often wait for the "Opening Range Breakout" around 9:45 AM or 10:00 AM before putting real capital at risk.
Actionable Steps for Today's Session
- Check the Futures: Before 9:30 AM, look at the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures. If they are up 1%, expect a "gap up" open where stocks start higher than yesterday's close.
- Mind the Economic Calendar: Today, January 13, keep an eye on any mid-morning data releases. In 2026, the market is hypersensitive to any inflation whispers.
- Use Limit Orders: Especially in the pre-market or the first few minutes of the open, market orders can get "slipped," meaning you pay a much higher price than you intended. Use a limit order to specify exactly what you're willing to pay.
- Watch the Overlap: If you're trading global brands, the 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM window is your best friend for liquidity.
The market is officially open at 9:30 AM, but the game is already being played.