24/7 Trading Platform
If you believed you had to remain at your workstation through the trading day to place orders in your Robinhood account,
you definitely need to check out this write-up. The brokerage firm provides an extensive array of tools that allow trading
every hour of every day, seven days a week.
24 Hour Trading
Of the multiple methods available to Robinhood clients for continuous trading around the clock, one is
the 24-hour market.
This is a group of stocks and ETFs that can be traded all day long, five days a week. Notice we said “5 days a week.” While this may not be non-stop 24/7, these assets can still be traded at any point during weekdays, which is especially convenient for night-time traders.
At the moment, the list consists of over 1051 securities, a huge increase from the original 24-hour group. This roster will
very likely expand further. Current selections include:
- Verizon (VZ)
- Snap (SNAP)
- SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average Fund (DIA)
- Coca-Cola (KO)
- Bank of America (BAC)
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
- United States Oil Fund (USO)
- iShares MSCI Japan Fund (EWJ)
Finding the list on the Robinhood site is simple. On the website,
go to the main page, which is accessed by clicking the Robinhood logo in the top-left corner. Once on the homepage, scroll down until you locate the “Trending Lists” area. Here, you’ll notice groups of assets, such as Daily Movers and Technology. Among these lists, you’ll see the 24 Hour Market. Select it to see the stocks and ETFs offered for 24/5 trading.
If, for any reason, the 24 Hour Market link isn’t visible, simply go to the top of the website and use the search bar. Enter “24 Hour Market,” and a link should appear in the dropdown menu. Both methods lead to the same central page.
On the mobile app, the Trending Lists section doesn’t show anywhere. However, there is a search icon at the top. Tap the magnifying glass to perform a search for “24 Hour Market,” and you’ll get to the list.
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Research and Charting of 24-Hour Trading
Profiles for assets included on Robinhood’s 24-hour list contain the same details as regular securities. This means you’ll see moderate amounts of data, such as 52-week low figures and dividend yields. News updates and past earnings appear as well.
Charting works a little differently. A stock or ETF that’s tradable 24/5 will have a price timeline reflecting overnight trades. For instance, for Uber, it’s possible to see price movements at 2 am on Tuesday. But note that volume during these late-night periods isn’t displayed.
Placing a Trade for a 24-Hour Security
The 24-hour session at Robinhood commences Sunday evening at 8 pm (New York time) and continues until the same time on Friday. Submitting an order overnight uses the same steps as placing an order at other times. Navigate to the asset’s profile on the website or mobile app and open the order ticket. On the website, the ticket appears automatically with the profile. On the app, you’ll need to tap the Trade button at the bottom of the screen. Because Robinhood’s mobile platform supports 24-hour trades, you can be virtually anywhere, at any hour, and execute an order. It’s extremely useful.
The ticket includes a field for Trading Hours, and this is where you choose the 24-hour market. If a particular stock or ETF isn’t allowed for 24-hour trading, the 24-hour market option will not be visible. Also note that overnight orders must be limit orders, and only whole shares can be bought or sold in the after-hours session. By default, any 24-hour order not filled by the session’s end is cancelled automatically, though you can change it to remain active for up to 90 days.
Day Trading
Day trading with 24-hour assets is certainly possible, though it can be tricky to figure out the exact definition of a day. Securities regulators in the U.S. define a day as starting at 8 pm, New York time, and ending the following day at the same hour. In their view, the day spans from 8 to 8, rather than midnight to midnight.
Risks of Trading in the 24 Hour Platform
Trading after dark carries added risks. For instance, there is often increased volatility, meaning prices might surge or drop very quickly. Liquidity can be diminished too, making it tougher to find a trading partner at a favorable price. Bid-ask spreads tend to grow wider, raising trading costs in the late-night window.
Cryptocurrencies Around the Clock
Beyond the group of 1051 stocks and ETFs that can be traded 24/5 (except on market holidays),
Robinhood also has
a roster of 19 cryptocurrencies tradable 24/7 (except for short halts for system updates).
Buying and selling cryptocurrencies on Robinhood is just as straightforward as trading stocks. They have charts and details resembling those found with stocks. And locating cryptocurrencies works the same way. Look for “Tradable Crypto” in the Trending Lists section, or search for the lineup.
The same order ticket applies to cryptocurrencies. There are two order types in addition to what 24-hour securities have: market and recurring orders.
Another plus for cryptocurrencies is that they’re not covered by day-trading guidelines. With crypto, you can day trade regardless of your account balance.
Extended Hours
If the group of 100 or so assets for 24-hour trading doesn’t fully suit your schedule, you can always utilize pre-market and after-hours sessions. Although these time frames have a much broader selection of securities, they don’t equate to 24-hour availability.
Robinhood’s pre-market window begins at 7 am and runs until the opening bell. Post-market hours start when the bell rings at market close and last until 8 pm. Altogether, that’s 13 hours of access to trade securities without stepping into the 24-hour market.
Like overnight trading, extended-hours orders must be limit orders. Most stocks and ETFs can only be traded in whole share increments during these sessions. That said, it’s possible to place a fractional-share order to be executed when the regular session opens.
Late-Close Options
While options are generally tradable only during the five weekday sessions, Robinhood does let you trade certain contracts until 4:15 pm, an extra 15 minutes past the usual close. Most of the underlying assets are index ETFs. Examples include:
SPDR S&P 500 Fund (SPY)
iShares MSCI EAFE Fund (EFA)
Invesco DB Oil Fund (DBO)
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Pricing
There are no surcharges on overnight or extended-hours trades (other than the increased bid-ask spreads already mentioned). Because Robinhood charges zero commissions on all trades, 24-hour customers will find a great value here.
Updated on 4/4/2025.
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