Extended Hours Trading

Firstrade Extended-Hours Trading

Firstrade now offers you the opportunity to buy or sell NASDAQ and selected listed securities after normal market hours through our new extended-hours Trading Program. With extended-hours trading, our customers now have the ability to act on news, earnings and research reports that are released after the traditional market closes. Firstrade is now offering self-directed investors access to the same opportunity that institutional investors have to the extended-hours market. Firstrade uses Nasdaq for its extended-hours trading services.

    How Firstrade's extended-hours Trading Program works:

  1. Extended-hours services are available to all customers who have accepted and agreed to the extended-hours Disclosure Agreement below.
  2. Extended-hours orders can only be entered from 8:00am to 9:25am, and from 4:05 pm to 5:25 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except holidays).
  3. You may only enter limit orders.
  4. Extended-hours trades are executed through the Nasdaq which automatically matches buy and sell orders. If you want to sell a security at a certain price and someone else wants to buy that same security at that price, the Nasdaq will match the two orders and execute the trade automatically.
  5. An order placed during an extended-hours trading session is good only for the session during which the order was placed. Trade settlement remains the same for extended-hours trades as for traditional trades. The settlement date is three business days after the date on which the transaction occurred.
  6. You may change or cancel your order at any time before it is executed. However, once an order is executed (completely or partially), it can no longer be changed or canceled. extended-hours orders cannot be changed to a traditional trading session order.
  7. There is a risk of duplicate orders if you place an order during an extended-hours session for which you already have an outstanding order in the traditional trading session. Orders executed during traditional trading hours might not be confirmed until after the extended-hours trading session has begun.
  1. IMPORTANT:
  2. Extended-hours trading is different from traditional hours trading. First, there is less liquidity which can lead to sharp share-price swings. Because of that, you should compare a stock's traditional-hours closing price with its current extended-hours price.

    Some investors may be overreacting to news that was released after the close of the traditional trading session. The thinness of the extended-hours market makes it susceptible to overreactions based upon breaking news.

    It is important to read and understand the risks associated with extended-hours trading which can be found in the extended-hours Disclosure Agreement.

Faqs for Extended Hours Trading

  • Q. Who can trade extended-hours?
  • A. Extended-hours trading is available to all Firstrade customers who have read and accepted the Extended-Hours Disclosure Agreement.
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  • Q. What time is extended-hours trading available?
  • A. Firstrade's extended-hours trading session is open from 8:00 am to 9:25 am, and from 4:20 pm to 5:25 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except holidays).
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  • Q. Will I get immediate executions on my extended-hours orders?
  • A. All orders you place during the extended-hours trading session will be immediately displayed. If a match is found, your order will then be executed.
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  • Q. Do my regular orders carry over to the extended-hours market and vice versa?
  • A. No, not at this time. The extended-hours market is separate from the traditional hours market.
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  • Q. Can I cancel or change my order once it has been placed?
  • A. You may change or cancel your order at any time before it is executed. However, once the order has been executed it can no longer be changed or canceled.
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  • Q. Are there additional fees associated with extended-hours trading?
  • A. No. All extended-hours trades are charged the usual commission. ($6.95 for online equity orders, $26.95 for broker assisted equity orders.)
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  • Q. How do I setup my account for extended-hours trading?
  • A. The first step is to read Firstrade's Extended-Hours Disclosure Agreement and complete the Extended-Hours Activation Form.
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Brokerage Products and Services offered by Firstrade Securities, Inc. - Member FINRA and SIPC.

Online trading has inherent risk due to system response and access times that may vary due to market conditions, system performance, and other factors. An investor should understand these and additional risks before trading. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. All investments involve risk and losses may exceed the principal invested. Past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Firstrade is a discount broker that provides self-directed investors with brokerage services, and does not make recommendations or offer investment, financial, legal or tax advice.

Options trading involves risk and is not suitable for all investors. Options trading privileges are subject to Firstrade review and approval. Please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options brochure before you begin trading options.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of a mutual fund or ETF carefully before investing. Leveraged and Inverse ETFs may not be suitable for long-term investors and may increase exposure to volatility through the use of leverage, short sales of securities, derivatives and other complex investment strategies. A mutual fund or ETF prospectus contains this and other information and can be obtained by emailing service@firstrade.com.

Margin trading involves interest charges and risks, including the potential to lose more than deposited or the need to deposit additional collateral in a falling market. The Margin Disclosure Statement and Agreement (PDF) is available for download, and contains information on our lending policies, interest charges, and the risks associated with margin accounts.

*Online market and limit stock trades are $6.95 for stocks priced $1 and above. Add $0.005 per share on the entire order for stocks priced less than $1.00. Online option trades are $6.95 plus 75 cents per option contract. See our Pricing page for detailed pricing of all security types offered at Firstrade.

Any specific securities, or types of securities, used as examples are for demonstration purposes only. None of the information provided should be considered a recommendation or solicitation to invest in, or liquidate, a particular security or type of security.

System response and access times may vary due to market conditions, system performance, and other factors.

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