Extended hours trading allows investors to trade certain stocks before and after the standard hours of the stock exchanges.

With the rise of Electronic Communications Networks, or ECNs, everyday individual investors can gain access to the extended hours trading. Before you decide to trade after-hours, you need to educate yourself about the differences between regular and extended hours trading, especially the risks. As with trading during regular hours, the services offered by brokers for extended hours trading vary.

Extended hours trading is made possible by computerized order matching systems known as Electronic Markets (either Electronic Communications Networks or Electronic Stock Exchanges). These Electronic Markets may have relationships with other Electronic Markets that participate in an extended hours trading network in order to provide access to orders or prices available on these other participating Electronic Markets.