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Stocks (shares)

In one line: A small piece of ownership in a company, traded on an exchange.

When you buy a share you own a tiny slice of the company. Prices move with company news, the economy and plain supply and demandPrice rises when more people want to buy than sell, and the other way round..

US exchanges like the NYSE and Nasdaq have regular trading hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays, with pre-market and after-hours sessions. Nasdaq notes extended hours can have lower liquidityHow easily something can be bought or sold. and higher volatilityHow much and how fast the price swings.. See Market hours and sessions.

Related

Sources & studies

  1. Investor.gov (SEC): Stocks
  2. NYSE: Holidays and trading hours
  3. Nasdaq: Stock market hours and holidays

MarketsMarket hours and sessionsStock indices

Last checked: 2026-11-04 · Educational, not financial advice.

Education only, not financial advice. No signals. Backtests are hypothetical: real trading can be worse. Past results don't predict future results.