Been trading for a few months now but still confused about market hours. Sometimes I check my phone and nothing is moving.
What time does the options market actually open? Is there a specific schedule I should follow?
Also wondering what usually happens in the first hour. Should I wait or jump in right away?
US stocks and options open at 9:30 AM EST and close at 4:00 PM EST. Forex operates 24/5, starting Sunday night. Crypto trades nonstop. The first 15 minutes are often wild due to overnight orders hitting the market. From experience, I recommend grabbing a coffee and observing instead of jumping in right away. The real moves usually happen around 10 AM when institutional players finish up their morning routines.
Markets open 9:30 AM EST weekdays. Pre-market starts at 4:00 AM EST. First 30 minutes are volatile. If you enter early, manage your risk.
Crypto taught me about 24/7 trading, but traditional markets are different.
Regular hours are 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST. I learned the hard way that the opening bell creates chaos - lost $400 in my second month jumping in too early.
Now I wait until 10:00 AM for things to settle. Those first 30 minutes burned me too many times.
Options market starts at 9:30 AM EST. First hour is usually wild, I recommend waiting.
Market schedules trip up new traders all the time. Binary options on Pocket Option match whatever hours the underlying asset trades. Forex runs almost 24/5, but stock options? Only when markets are open.
Volatility goes crazy right at open because of overnight news. Mobile trading is tempting, but those first few minutes can wreck you.
Let things calm down first. Usually, waiting until around 10 AM helps spot clear patterns.