After-hours trading on stocks
Volatility doesn’t wait for the main market session. Take a position on over 70 US stocks pre-market open and after-hours.
Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.
Why trade after hours with us?
Discover unique opportunities
Go long or short on a range of US stocks outside normal dealing hours
Take advantage of volatility
Make the most of price movements – over 80%1 of trades can occur outside of the main session
Get ahead of the competition
Trade earnings announcements and breaking news without waiting for the main session
Choose how you trade
Open a position using CFDs, spread bets, direct market access (DMA) or our share dealing service
What are the risks of after-hours trading?
The risks of pre-market, post-market and weekend trading include:
- Lower liquidity: many market participants prefer to trade during the main session when prices are generally more stable. This means there may be fewer active participants to fill the other side of trades out of hours
- Higher volatility: lower liquidity can result in more dramatic swings in prices, which can be good or bad – depending on your individual risk appetite
- Wider spreads: the difference between the buy and sell price, known as the spread, can widen when volatility rises or liquidity falls
You can manage your risk using stops and limits, which automatically close your trade when the price hits a pre-determined level. Guaranteed stops are the best way to cap risk, because these always close your trade at the exact level you specify – even if the market moves quickly or ‘gaps’. A small premium is payable if a guaranteed stop is triggered.
What are pre-market and after-hours shares trading?
Pre-market and after-hours trading are extensions of the market session. They enable you to find opportunities before and after normal trading hours.
Most UK traders can only trade the US stock market from 2.30pm to 9pm (UK time), but with our extended hours you can trade for much longer.
- CFD and spread bets on All Session US shares
9am to 1am Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 10pm Friday (UK time) - Share dealing on All Session US shares
12pm to 10:30pm Monday to Thursday, and 12 to 10pm Friday (UK time)
You’ll find our extended hours markets labelled ‘All Session’, to distinguish them from stocks only available in normal US market hours.
Why would I want to trade shares before or after-hours?
Trading on All Session stocks enables you to take advantage of any opportunities that happen outside the main trading window – like volatility around US company earnings and news announcements.
The importance of out-of-hours trading
Stock prices can see significant volatility as traders and investors react to company earnings announcements. The amount of movement largely depends on whether or not the results are in line with analysts’ estimates.
As most US companies release their earnings outside of the main session, the majority of trading takes place in the pre- and post-market sessions. This makes out-of-hours trading vital for taking advantage of earnings volatility.
This is just one example of how to use out-of-hours trading to your advantage. You can also capitalise on price movements around macroeconomic data releases, and major news events.
What stocks can I trade after hours?
Trade over 70 key US stocks before and after-hours with us, including Apple, Facebook and Amazon.
NYSE
3M
Alcoa
Alibaba Group
American Express
American International Group
AT&T
Bank of America
Berkshire Hathaway
Best Buy
Boeing
Caterpillar
Chevron
Citigroup
Coca-Cola
Delta Air Lines
Exxon Mobil
Ford Motor
General Electric
General Motors
Goldman Sachs Group
Halliburton
Hewlett Packard
Home Depot
IBM
Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan Chase & Co
McDonald's
Merck & Co
MGM Resorts
Morgan Stanley (All Sessions)
NIKE
NIO
Oracle
Pfizer
Procter & Gamble
Schlumberger Ltd
Snap Inc (All Sessions)
Transocean
Twitter
United Technologies
UnitedHealth Group
Verizon Communications
Visa
Wal-Mart Stores
Walt Disney Co
Wells Fargo
Open an account now
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 15,000+ global markets, with reliable execution
Deal seamlessly, wherever you are
Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app
Feel secure with a trusted provider
With 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account now
Open an account now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 15,000+ global markets, with reliable execution
Deal seamlessly, wherever you are
Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app
Feel secure with a trusted provider
With 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
How to trade shares out of hours
Spread bet or trade CFDs to free up your capital with leverage. Get direct market access for increased visibility and control. Or use our share dealing service to buy stock outright.
Spread betting
Place a bet on whether a share’s price will move – up or down. There’s no capital gains tax or stamp duty to pay.2
CFD trading
Trade the difference in a share’s price from when you open the position and when you close it. CFDs are free from stamp duty and are a useful hedging tool.2
DMA
Trade directly in the order book with our shares direct market access (DMA) service for advanced traders. Simply enable DMA on your share dealing or CFD account, and find it in the ‘order’ tab for ‘all sessions’ shares.
Share dealing
Buy the underlying shares and gain shareholder rights – such as voting privileges and dividend payments.
Deal three times a month with us and pay zero commission on US.3
How much does share trading before or after hours cost?
When you trade out of hours with us, our spread and commission are the same as those you’d get during regular market hours.
However, underlying market spreads can widen due to reduced liquidity. So, you might find you pay more to open or close a trade.
Try these next
Learn how to buy and sell shares online with us
Get in at the ground floor with our grey markets on upcoming IPOs
You won’t find as many 24/74 markets anywhere else
1 Based on Amazon.com earnings (13 Jan - 14 Feb).
2 Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
3 Trade in your share dealing account three or more times in the previous month to qualify for our best commission rates.
4 24/7 excludes the hours from 10pm Fri to 8am Sat, and 20 mins just before the weekday market opens on Sunday night.
Connect with us
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Professional clients trading spread bets and CFDs can lose more than they deposit.
Options and futures are complex instruments which come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. They’re not suitable for most investors. Before you invest, you should consider whether you understand how options and futures work, the risks of trading these instruments and whether you can afford to lose more than your original investment.
Trading stocks and shares ‘on margin’ within a US options and futures account – meaning that you only finance part of the cost of acquiring a position in a security – carries additional risks over buying securities on a fully funded basis and may result in losses exceeding your original investment. Trading on margin will also result in additional costs to you as the investor and any securities purchased using margin may be held as collateral by the lender, restricting both your rights as shareholder, and your ability to use the securities until the margin trade is closed. You should familiarise yourself with these risks before trading on margin.
The value of shares, ETFs and other ETPs bought through a share dealing account, a US options and futures account, a stocks and shares ISA or a SIPP can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Some ETPs carry additional risks depending on how they’re structured, investors should ensure they familiarise themselves with the differences before investing.
Share dealing and IG Smart Portfolio accounts provided by IG Trading and Investments Ltd, CFD accounts and US options and futures accounts are provided by IG Markets Ltd, spread betting provided by IG Index Ltd.
IG is a trading name of IG Trading and Investments Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 11628764), IG Markets Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 04008957) and IG Index Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 01190902). Registered address at Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA. IG Markets Ltd (Register number 195355), IG Trading and Investments Ltd (Register Number 944492) and IG Index Ltd (Register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The information on this site isn’t directed at residents of the United States, Belgium or any particular country outside the UK and isn’t intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.