London Stock Exchange (LSE) Trading Hours
The London Stock Exchange is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 12:02 pm to 4:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+00:00). The exchange closes for lunch each day, but only for 2 minutes between 12:00 to 12:02.
The London stock market hours are some of the longest in the world – with a total of 8 hours and 28 minutes of trading time. Most other exchanges only open for between 5 and 7 hours. These longer hours mean there is likely to be more volatility, as more news occurs within the time that the market is open, giving traders and investors time to adjust positions.
Moreover, the London Stock Exchange also has extended trading hours, with a Pre-Trading Session from 5:05 am to 7:50 am and a Post-Trading Session from 4:40 pm to 5:15 pm. These sessions don’t work in the same way as the regular hours, as buyers and sellers are paired directly together through electronic communication networks, rather than going through brokers or trading providers.
Trading Hours on Weekends and Bank Holidays
The London Stock Exchange is closed on weekends and bank holidays. For example, if Christmas Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the markets will automatically close on the Friday before, or in rare cases the following Monday.
The markets in the UK also close on other bank holidays, such as Good Friday, Spring Bank Holiday and Boxing Day, as well as having reduced trading hours on Christmas Eve to accommodate the morning only.
Stock Markets Around the World
Most of the world’s stock exchanges are open during regular business hours, in local time. Trading is generally conducted from Monday through Friday. The Saudi Stock Exchange is an exception to the rule, as it is open from Sunday to Thursday. A small number of exchanges close for a lunch break; this is most commonly seen in Asia’s marketplaces, while the London Stock Exchange only has a two-minute break at noon.
Holidays depend on the local calendar, so they are different for every location. For example, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closes on July 4 for US Independence Day, and the Singapore Stock Exchange closes in early February for the Chinese New Year. Some exchanges close for a half day from time to time. For example, the NYSE is open only until 1 pm on Christmas Eve. The exchanges post their annual calendars well in advance, so make sure to keep an eye on each calendar and plan accordingly.
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