Overview of Extended Hours at Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers is known for advanced trading features, one of which is extended hours. The company allows its clients to trade many products at almost any time of day or night. This service is hard to match by any other broker. Here are the details:
IBKR Extended Hours for Securities
First, let’s look at extended-hours trading for stocks and ETFs. IBKR offers pre-market and after-hours sessions, and trading during these times is as easy as trading during regular hours. The pre-market session runs from 7:00 am EST until the market opens. IBKR Pro customers can start at 4:00 am. Both IBKR Lite and Pro customers can trade after the market closes until 8:00 pm.
To place a trade during early-morning or after-hours sessions on the web portal, log in and go to the security’s profile by typing in the company name or ticker symbol. Select the asset from the drop-down menu.
On the profile, click the blue buy button or the red sell button, which opens the order form. Choose the trade details, such as order type and duration. There’s an option for ‘Outside RTH’ (Regular Trading Hours). Select ‘yes’ to allow the order to execute outside regular hours. This will let the order fill in either the pre-market or post-market session. It’s not possible to choose one session over the other.
On Trader Workstation, IBKR’s advanced desktop platform, there’s a similar option: ‘Fill outside RTH.’ There’s also another one: ‘Allow pre-open,’ which excludes the post-market session. Finally, there’s ‘Overnight Trading,’ which we’ll look at next.
IBKR Overnight Trading for Securities
IBKR also offers overnight trading for those who want to trade between 8:00 pm and 4:00 am the next day. Technically, there’s a 10-minute break from 3:50 am to 4:00 am when trading stops, so it’s almost 24-hour trading but not quite. Also, it’s not 24/7 trading, as there’s a 2-day break from Friday night at 8:00 pm until Sunday night at the same time.
The great thing about IBKR’s overnight trading is the number of securities available. There are about 10,000 stocks and ETFs on the list, plus thousands of equity options that can be traded overnight.
Both Lite and Pro clients can participate in overnight trading, but a special risk disclosure must be signed first. To find this document, log into the website, click on the head-and-shoulders icon at the top, go to settings, and select Trading Permissions. You’ll need to sign the After Hours Trading Risk Disclosure form.
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Crypto Trading
Next is cryptocurrencies, which trade around the clock, providing another option for late-night and weekend trading. Before trading crypto, you need to add trading permission for cryptocurrencies to your account. Available coins include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
Crypto trading on the IBKR platform is offered through partnerships with Paxos and Zero Hash. IBKR clients who add the Plus trading permission can also trade through these platforms, allowing for true 24/7 trading, even during IBKR’s routine maintenance.
Futures and Forex
Traditional currencies don’t trade 24/7 but do trade 24/5 (from 5:00 pm EST on Sunday until Friday at the same time). Futures contracts have similar hours, though each contract may have different trading hours, so always check the hours for the contract you’re interested in.
Because Interactive Brokers offers both futures and forex trading, these products provide more ways to trade around the clock.
Gold and Silver
IBKR clients can trade precious metals on the London market, which operates 24/7. To trade London spot gold on Trader Workstation, enter XAUUSD in the ticker box and set your trade details.
Foreign Exchanges
Finally, IBKR offers trading on many global exchanges, allowing traders to buy and sell assets within local times, often outside normal U.S. hours. For example, when the New York Stock Exchange is closed, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is open, and IBKR clients can trade on this popular Chinese exchange (although it’s not commission-free).
Assets Not Available for IBKR 24/7 Trading
Unfortunately, not all asset classes at Interactive Brokers can be traded around the clock. For example, mutual funds only trade once per day after the market closes (though some foreign mutual funds can be traded).
Fixed-income securities are another example. They can only be traded during normal market hours, which are weekdays. However, international bond exchanges may be open during non-U.S. hours.
IBKR Fees During Extended Hours
Interactive Brokers does not charge extra fees or require minimum account balances for extended-hours trades, though some exchanges may charge commissions.
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Updated on 8/12/2024.
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