Short answer: The New York Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 AM Eastern Time, which is 7:00 PM IST during US daylight saving time (mid-March to early November) and 8:00 PM IST during US standard time (early November to mid-March). It closes at 4:00 PM ET - 1:30 AM IST in summer, 2:30 AM IST in winter.
If you trade US stocks from India, that one-hour seasonal swing is the detail that catches people out twice a year.
NYSE & Nasdaq hours in IST
Both the NYSE and Nasdaq follow identical hours. All sessions in IST:
| Session | US Eastern Time | IST (US summer / DST) | IST (US winter / standard) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-market | 4:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET | 1:30 PM - 7:00 PM | 2:30 PM - 8:00 PM |
| Regular session | 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET | 7:00 PM - 1:30 AM | 8:00 PM - 2:30 AM |
| After-hours | 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET | 1:30 AM - 5:30 AM | 2:30 AM - 6:30 AM |
For most Indian investors, the regular session is the one that matters - and it runs through your evening into the early hours of the morning.
Why the time changes twice a year
India does not observe daylight saving time. IST stays fixed at UTC+5:30 all year. The United States does observe DST, so the gap between the two countries shifts:
- - US standard time (winter): IST is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York -> NYSE opens 8:00 PM IST.
- - US daylight time (summer): IST is 9 hours 30 minutes ahead -> NYSE opens 7:00 PM IST.
Because the change happens on the US side, your trading window moves an hour earlier each spring and an hour later each autumn - even though your own clock never changes.
The exact 2026 shift dates
Mark these in your calendar:
- - March 8, 2026 - US springs forward. From this date, the NYSE opens at 7:00 PM IST (one hour earlier than before).
- - November 1, 2026 - US falls back. From this date, the NYSE opens at 8:00 PM IST again.
So for most of 2026, your US trading evening starts at 7:00 PM IST. Only the roughly four months between early November and early March push it to 8:00 PM.
A practical evening trading routine (IST)
During US summer (most of the year), a typical Indian investor's US-market evening looks like:
- - From ~1:30 PM IST: pre-market opens - useful for reacting to overnight earnings and news.
- - 7:00 PM IST: the regular session opens. This is the highest-liquidity window and where most volume trades.
- - Through to 1:30 AM IST: regular session runs. The final hour before close (after midnight IST) often sees the day's heaviest activity.
If staying up past midnight isn't sustainable, many Indian investors focus on the first 60-90 minutes after the open (7:00-8:30 PM IST), which captures the opening volatility without an all-nighter.
A note on US market holidays and investing rules
The NYSE is closed on US federal holidays - New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There are also half-days around Thanksgiving and Christmas. These don't follow the Indian calendar, so check before planning a session.
Indian residents can invest in US markets under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Tax treatment of gains and dividends differs from domestic equities - consult a qualified financial advisor or tax professional. This article does not constitute financial advice.