What Is After-Hours Trading And How Can I Start?

After-hours trading allows you to trade after the market has closed. Sometimes this is also known as extended hours trading.

This might be advantageous to traders who want to take advantage of an earnings event. Most earnings announcements are made after the market closes, and in some cases, before it opens. For traders who want to put on positions right after an earnings announcement, waiting until the market opens might be too late, as the big move will have already occurred.

Some people trade after hours because of their schedule, which may not allow them to trade during regular hours. Whatever the motivation is, after-hours trading is very different from trading during the regular day session.

Start here: Make sure you understand the stock market hours and what time the stock market opens.