How to Turn On Overnight Trading on Webull: Your Comprehensive Guide to 24/5 Market Access
Have you ever found yourself wishing you could react to breaking news, earnings announcements, or global market shifts outside of regular trading hours? Imagine waking up to a major news event and being able to adjust your portfolio immediately, instead of waiting for the market open. If so, then Webull's overnight trading feature is precisely what you've been looking for! It empowers you to trade US stocks and ETFs from Sunday evening through Friday evening, giving you nearly 24/5 market access.
This in-depth guide will walk you through the process of enabling overnight trading on Webull, explain the nuances, and highlight important considerations. Let's get started!
Understanding Webull's Extended Trading Hours
Before diving into how to enable it, it's crucial to understand the different trading sessions Webull offers:
Regular Trading Hours: This is the standard market session, typically from 9:30 AM ET to 4:00 PM ET.
Extended Trading Hours (Pre-Market & After-Hours):
Pre-Market: 4:00 AM ET to 9:30 AM ET.
After-Hours: 4:00 PM ET to 8:00 PM ET.
Overnight Trading: This is the game-changer! Webull's overnight trading session allows you to trade US stocks and ETFs from 8:00 PM ET to 4:00 AM ET (the following day), Sunday through Thursday. This means you can react to market events that happen during typical sleeping hours in the US, or during business hours in other parts of the world.
Step 1: Are You Ready for the Overnight Market?
Before you even think about tapping buttons, ask yourself: Am I prepared for the unique dynamics of overnight trading? This isn't just about clicking a toggle; it's about understanding the environment you're stepping into. Overnight trading comes with its own set of risks and opportunities.
Sub-heading: Why Consider Overnight Trading?
Respond to News Swiftly: Company earnings, economic data releases, and global geopolitical events often occur outside of regular US market hours. Overnight trading allows you to react instantly, potentially capitalizing on immediate price movements or mitigating losses.
Increased Flexibility: For traders in different time zones, or those with busy daytime schedules, overnight trading provides much-needed flexibility to participate in the US market.
Capture Early/Late Trends: Sometimes, significant trends begin to form in the extended hours before the regular market opens, or continue after it closes. Overnight trading allows you to catch these movements.
Sub-heading: The Risks You Must Be Aware Of
Lower Liquidity: This is arguably the biggest risk. Fewer participants means fewer buyers and sellers. Your orders might be partially filled, or not at all, and it can be harder to enter or exit positions quickly.
Wider Bid-Ask Spreads: Due to lower liquidity, the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept (ask) can be significantly wider. This means you might buy at a higher price or sell at a lower price than you would during regular hours.
Increased Volatility: With lower liquidity and fewer participants, a single large order or significant news event can cause exaggerated and sudden price swings.
No Best Execution Guarantee: Unlike regular trading hours, the "best execution" rule (Regulation NMS) does not apply to extended and overnight trading. Your order might be routed to a specific market maker or alternative trading system (ATS) that doesn't publicly display prices, potentially leading to less favorable execution prices.
Limit Orders Only: Generally, only limit orders are accepted during extended and overnight sessions. Market orders are typically not allowed due to the volatility and liquidity concerns.
News Announcements: While an opportunity, news announcements can also be a risk. If you're holding a position overnight and negative news breaks, your position could be significantly impacted before the regular market opens, and it might be difficult to exit at a desirable price.
If you've considered these points and still feel ready to explore overnight trading, proceed to the next step!
Step 2: Activating Overnight Trading in Your Webull Account
Webull has made the activation process fairly straightforward. It's often handled during account setup or can be enabled later within the app.
Sub-heading: For New Webull Clients
If you're just signing up for Webull:
During Account Opening: As a new client, you will likely be presented with an option to select your preferred trading hours. Look for choices like "Night trading only" or "All day trading." Selecting either of these should prompt you to activate overnight trading.
Client Agreement and Risk Disclosure: You will be required to read and agree to the "Client Agreement and Risk Disclosure" specifically related to extended and overnight trading. Do not skip this! This document outlines the risks discussed in Step 1.
Sub-heading: For Existing Webull Clients
If you already have a Webull account:
Update Your App: Ensure you have the latest version of the Webull app installed on your mobile device. Outdated apps might not have the overnight trading functionality readily available.
Navigate to Trading Preferences:
Open the Webull app.
Tap on the "Menu" icon (usually located at the bottom center or bottom right).
Look for "Settings" or "More" and tap on it.
Within settings, you'll need to find sections related to trading, accounts, or disclosures. Search for something like "Trading Hours," "Extended Hours Trading," or "Overnight Trading."
Select Your Trading Hours Preference: Similar to new clients, you should find options such as "Night trading only" or "All day trading." Choose the one that suits your needs. "All day trading" will encompass regular, pre-market, after-hours, and overnight sessions.
Review and Agree to Disclosures: Just like new clients, you will be prompted to read and agree to the "Client Agreement and Risk Disclosure" for overnight trading. This is a critical step to ensure you understand the associated risks.
Important Note: The exact wording and menu navigation might vary slightly based on your region (e.g., Webull US, Webull Canada, Webull APAC) and the specific app version. If you cannot find it, Webull's in-app help or customer service is your next best resource.
Step 3: Placing an Overnight Trade
Once overnight trading is enabled, placing an order requires a specific setting. Remember, only limit orders are typically allowed.
Sub-heading: On the Webull Mobile App (Most Common)
Select the Stock/ETF: Navigate to the detail page of the US stock or ETF you wish to trade.
Tap "Trade": This will open the order entry ticket.
Choose "Buy" or "Sell": Select your desired action.
Enter Order Details:
Order Type: Ensure this is set to "Limit". (Market orders are generally not available for overnight trading).
Price: Enter your desired limit price.
Quantity: Enter the number of shares you want to buy or sell.
Crucial Step: Select Trading Hours: Look for a dropdown or option labeled "Trading Hours" or "Time in Force". Tap on it.
Choose "Include Ext." or "Overnight":
If you see "Include Ext.", this usually covers pre-market, regular, and after-hours. For full overnight access (8 PM ET - 4 AM ET), you might need to ensure your overall account setting for "All day trading" is active.
Some interfaces might offer a direct "Overnight" option, or categorize it under "All Day Trading" with a "Good-Til-Canceled" (GTC) Time-in-Force.
Select Time-in-Force (TIF):
If you choose "Night trading only" as your preferred trading hours and select "Day" as Time-in-Force, your order will only be valid during the overnight hours (8 PM ET to 4 AM ET).
If you choose "All Day Trading" and select "Good-Til-Canceled (GTC)", your order will be accepted and remain active across all trading hours (overnight, pre-market, regular, after-hours) until it's filled or canceled by you. This is often the most flexible option for continuous exposure.
If you choose "All Day Trading" and select "Day" as Time-in-Force, your order will still be eligible for overnight trading, and if unfilled, it will remain valid until the end of the next trading day's extended hours (8 PM ET the following day). This is a nuance to be aware of.
Review and Confirm: Double-check all your order details (stock, buy/sell, quantity, price, trading hours, TIF) before confirming the trade.
Sub-heading: On the Webull Desktop Platform
The process is similar on the desktop platform:
Locate the Stock: Find the stock you want to trade.
Open Trade Widget: In the trade widget or order entry panel, enter your desired details.
Trading Hours Dropdown: Look for the "Trading Hours" dropdown.
Select "Include Extended Hours" or "All Day Trading": Similar to the app, choose the option that grants you access to the overnight session.
Set Time-in-Force: Select GTC for continuous exposure across all sessions or Day if you want it to expire after the following trading day's extended hours.
Place Order: Confirm your order.
Step 4: Monitoring Your Overnight Trades
Once your order is placed, monitoring it becomes crucial.
Sub-heading: Understanding Order Status
Your order will show as "Working" or "Pending" until it's filled.
During low liquidity periods, your limit order might not get filled even if the price briefly touches your limit, due to the lack of available shares at that exact moment.
Be prepared for orders to remain unfilled more often than during regular market hours.
Sub-heading: Setting Alerts
Webull allows you to set price alerts. This is invaluable for overnight trading. Set alerts for your target entry/exit prices, or for significant price movements in stocks you're watching, so you don't have to constantly check the app.
Sub-heading: Charting Extended Hours Data
To see price action during extended hours on your charts, enable "Include Extended Hours" (or similar setting) in your chart settings. This is usually represented by a small "Ext." button or option within the chart tools. This helps you visualize what's happening outside regular hours.
Step 5: Managing Risks and Best Practices
Overnight trading offers exciting opportunities, but it's not for the faint of heart. Here are some best practices to help you navigate it safely:
Start Small: Do not commit large amounts of capital to overnight trades until you are fully comfortable with the market dynamics.
Focus on Highly Liquid Assets: Stick to well-known, large-cap stocks and ETFs that tend to have some liquidity even during extended hours. Avoid penny stocks or thinly traded securities.
Use Limit Orders Exclusively: Never use market orders for overnight trading. A market order could be filled at a wildly unfavorable price due to wide bid-ask spreads.
Understand News Catalysts: If you're trading around earnings or major news, be prepared for significant volatility. Consider the potential impact of the news before placing your trade.
Have a Clear Strategy: Don't just trade for the sake of it. Have a specific reason for your overnight trade and a clear entry and exit plan.
Be Aware of Time Zones: If you're not in ET, convert the US overnight trading hours (8 PM ET - 4 AM ET) to your local time to manage your trading schedule effectively.
Don't Over-Trade: It can be tempting to constantly look for opportunities, but over-trading, especially in less liquid periods, can lead to increased losses from commissions (if applicable) and poor execution.
Review Disclosures Regularly: Market rules and broker offerings can change. Periodically review Webull's disclosures on extended hours and overnight trading.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are 10 frequently asked questions about Webull's overnight trading, with quick answers:
How to check if I have overnight trading enabled on Webull? You can check in your Webull app by going to "Menu" > "Settings" or "More," then looking for "Trading Hours," "Extended Hours Trading," or "Account & Security." If you see options for "All day trading" or "Night trading only" selected, it's likely enabled.
How to place a market order during overnight trading on Webull? You generally cannot place market orders during overnight trading on Webull. Only limit orders are typically accepted to mitigate the risks associated with low liquidity and high volatility.
How to cancel an overnight trade on Webull? You can cancel an active, unfilled overnight limit order at any time through your "Orders" tab in the Webull app, just like a regular market hour order.
How to see extended hours prices on Webull charts? On the stock's chart page, look for a small "Ext." button or a "Settings" (gear) icon within the chart tools. Tap it and ensure "Include Extended Hours" or similar option is toggled on.
How to know which stocks can be traded overnight on Webull? Webull's overnight trading primarily covers a selection of US stocks and ETFs. While a broad range is available, it's generally focused on larger, more liquid securities. You can check Webull's official resources or the stock's detail page for eligibility.
How to understand the risks of overnight trading on Webull? Webull requires you to read and agree to a "Client Agreement and Risk Disclosure" before activating overnight trading. This document thoroughly outlines risks like lower liquidity, wider spreads, and increased volatility. It's crucial to read this carefully.
How to use "Good-Til-Canceled" (GTC) for overnight orders on Webull? When placing a limit order, select "All Day Trading" for "Trading Hours" and then choose "Good-Til-Canceled" for "Time-in-Force." This will keep your order active across all sessions (overnight, pre-market, regular, after-hours) until it's filled or you cancel it.
How to determine the exact overnight trading hours on Webull? For US stocks and ETFs, Webull's overnight trading hours are typically from 8:00 PM ET to 4:00 AM ET (the following day), Sunday through Thursday. This is in addition to pre-market (4 AM - 9:30 AM ET) and after-hours (4 PM - 8 PM ET).
How to deal with unfilled overnight orders on Webull? If your overnight limit order isn't filled, it will remain active according to your "Time-in-Force" setting (e.g., GTC, or until the end of the next trading day's extended hours if "Day" is selected with "All Day Trading"). You can choose to leave it or cancel it and try again later.
How to practice overnight trading on Webull without risking real money? Webull offers a "Paper Trading" feature, which is a simulated trading environment. You can use this to practice placing extended and overnight orders and test your strategies without risking actual capital. It's an excellent way to get comfortable before live trading.
