A stock market exchange is a marketplace where stocks are traded throughout the day. They’re located in all global capitals, including New York, London, Frankfurt, Shanghai, and Tokyo, which means they operate in different time zones.

Trading is usually conducted from Monday to Friday of each week, with markets closing at weekends and national holidays (which vary from location to location). Opening and closing times differ slightly from region to region, but markets generally open around 9:30 am local time, and close at 4:30 pm.