US Market Timings Are Changing for Indian Investors: What You Need to Know
If you trade US stocks from India, there’s a one-hour shift in market timings coming your way.
From Monday, 2 November 2026, the regular trading session for major US exchanges such as the NYSE and Nasdaq will begin at 8:00 PM IST instead of 7:00 PM IST.
The reason? The US is moving out of daylight saving time, while India’s clocks remain unchanged.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What changes from 2 November?
The US exchanges themselves are not changing their trading hours. The regular session will continue to run from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time.
It’s the conversion to Indian Standard Time that changes by one hour.
| Session | Until 30 Oct | From 2 Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-market | 1:30 PM – 7:00 PM IST | 2:30 PM – 8:00 PM IST |
| Regular market | 7:00 PM – 1:30 AM IST | 8:00 PM – 2:30 AM IST |
| After-hours | 1:30 AM – 5:30 AM IST | 2:30 AM – 6:30 AM IST |
Friday, 30 October will be the last trading day under the current IST schedule, while Monday, 2 November will be the first day under the revised timings.
Why does this happen?
The US follows daylight saving time, while India does not.
In 2026, US daylight saving time ends on Sunday, 1 November, when clocks move back by one hour. Eastern Time therefore moves from EDT (UTC-4) to EST (UTC-5).
The revised timings will remain in place until US daylight saving time begins again on 14 March 2027.
What about Indian markets?
Nothing changes.
NSE, BSE and MCX will continue to operate at their regular Indian market timings.
The shift applies only to the US market schedule when viewed from India.
Important November dates
There are a couple of US market holidays and early closures worth keeping in mind.
Thanksgiving | Thursday, 26 November
NYSE and Nasdaq will be closed for the day.
Day after Thanksgiving | Friday, 27 November
The exchanges will close early at 1:00 PM ET, which translates to 11:30 PM IST.
Normal US market hours resume on Monday, 30 November, with the regular session running from 8:00 PM to 2:30 AM IST.
There is another early close on Thursday, 24 December, at 1:00 PM ET or 11:30 PM IST.
What does this mean for Indian investors?
The biggest change is simple: your US market routine moves by an hour.
If you currently plan your trades, alerts or limit orders around the 7:00 PM IST opening, you’ll need to move them to 8:00 PM IST from 2 November.
The regular session will now run:
8:00 PM → 2:30 AM IST
So remember to adjust your trading schedule accordingly.
One more change coming in December 
There’s another development US market participants should watch.
NYSE and Nasdaq are expected to introduce a new overnight trading session from Sunday, 6 December 2026.
The proposed additional session would run from 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM ET, translating to 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM IST under standard time.
The existing regular session would remain unchanged.
Bottom line
The US exchanges aren’t changing their regular trading hours. The one-hour difference is simply a result of the US switching off daylight saving time while India stays on IST.
For Indian investors, the key date to remember is:
2 November 2026 → US markets open at 8:00 PM IST.
A small change on the clock, but an important one if you actively trade US markets.