Ready to unlock a whole new dimension of trading? Ever found yourself staring at the market close, wishing you could react to breaking news or earnings reports right now, instead of waiting for the next morning? If so, you're in the right place! After-hours trading on Webull can give you that flexibility, but it comes with its own set of rules and risks. Let's dive in and master it together!
How to Trade After Hours on Webull: Your Comprehensive Guide
Trading outside of standard market hours, often referred to as "extended hours" or "after-hours trading," can present unique opportunities and challenges. Webull, a popular commission-free trading platform, provides its users with access to these sessions. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, explain the nuances, and help you navigate this dynamic trading environment.
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| How To Trade After Hours On Webull |
Understanding Extended Trading Hours on Webull
Before we jump into placing trades, it's crucial to understand what "after-hours" actually means on Webull. Webull offers several extended trading periods beyond the traditional 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET (Eastern Time) regular market session for US stocks.
Pre-Market Session: This typically runs from 4:00 AM ET to 9:30 AM ET.
After-Hours Session (Standard): This runs from 4:00 PM ET to 8:00 PM ET.
Overnight Trading (24/5): Webull also offers a specialized "Overnight Trading" session for select securities which operates almost 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, generally from 8:00 PM ET Sunday through 3:58 AM ET Friday. This is a significant expansion beyond typical extended hours.
It's important to note that not all stocks and ETFs are available for 24/5 trading. You'll see a purple "24" icon on the stock profile page for eligible securities.
Step 1: Getting Ready – Account and Knowledge Check!
Before you even think about placing an after-hours trade, let's make sure you're properly set up and aware of what you're getting into.
Sub-heading: Verify Your Webull Account is Active
Ensure you have a funded Webull account. You'll need sufficient capital to execute trades, just like during regular hours. If you're new to Webull, make sure your account application is complete and approved.
Familiarize yourself with the Webull platform. Whether you use the mobile app or desktop version, having a solid understanding of how to navigate, find stocks, and view charts is paramount.
Sub-heading: Understand the Risks of Extended Hours Trading
This is critical. Trading after hours is not the same as trading during regular market hours, and it carries significant risks. Do not skip this section!
Lower Liquidity: Fewer participants are trading, which means there are fewer buyers and sellers. This can make it harder to execute your order at your desired price, or even at all. Your order might be partially filled or not filled.
Higher Volatility: Due to lower liquidity, prices can swing more dramatically on smaller volumes. News announcements (like earnings reports) often happen after hours, causing rapid and exaggerated price movements.
Wider Bid-Ask Spreads: 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 much wider. This means you might buy at a higher price or sell at a lower price than you would during regular hours.
Unlinked Markets: The "National Best Bid and Offer" (NBBO) rule, which ensures you get the best available price across all exchanges during regular hours, generally does not apply to extended hours trading. This means the price you see on Webull might not be the absolute best price available at that moment across all trading venues.
Limited Order Types: Typically, only limit orders are accepted during extended hours (including overnight trading). Market orders are generally not permitted because of the volatility and liquidity concerns.
News Announcements: Important company or economic news often breaks outside of regular trading hours. While this presents opportunities, it also means prices can react rapidly and unpredictably.
Take a moment to truly internalize these risks. If you're new to trading, consider using Webull's paper trading feature to practice extended-hours strategies in a risk-free environment.
Step 2: Navigating to Your Desired Stock and Initiating a Trade
Tip: Keep the flow, don’t jump randomly.
Once you're confident and ready to proceed, let's get to the execution.
Sub-heading: Find the Stock You Want to Trade
Open the Webull app or desktop platform.
Search for the stock symbol you wish to trade (e.g., AAPL, TSLA).
Go to the stock's detailed quote page.
Sub-heading: Initiate a Buy or Sell Order
On the stock's detail page, you'll see a "Trade" button. Tap or click on this to bring up the order entry screen.
Step 3: Crucial Step – Selecting "Extended Hours" or "24 Hour Market"
This is where the magic happens for after-hours trading.
Sub-heading: Accessing Trading Hours Options
On the order entry screen, locate the "Trading Hours" dropdown menu. This is usually near the "Time-in-Force" or "Order Type" selection.
For standard pre-market/after-hours: Select "Include Extended Hours" or "Ext."
For 24/5 trading (if applicable to the stock): Select "24 Hour Market". Remember, not all stocks support this. Look for the purple "24" icon on the stock's profile or within the "24 Hour Market" section of the app to confirm eligibility.
This step is paramount. If you don't select the appropriate extended hours option, your order will default to regular market hours and will not be executed until the next standard trading session opens.
Step 4: Configuring Your Order – Limit Orders are Key!
As mentioned earlier, during extended hours, limit orders are typically the only accepted order type. This is a safety mechanism to help you control the price at which your order is executed, given the potential for wider spreads and volatility.
Sub-heading: Set Your Order Type to "Limit"
On the order entry screen, ensure the "Order Type" is set to "Limit". You won't be able to place market orders for extended hours.
Sub-heading: Define Your Limit Price
Tip: Watch for summary phrases — they give the gist.
Enter the exact price at which you want your buy or sell order to be executed.
For a buy order: Set your limit price at or above the current ask price, but ideally below the highest price you're willing to pay.
For a sell order: Set your limit price at or below the current bid price, but ideally above the lowest price you're willing to accept.
Be mindful of the current bid and ask prices displayed on the Webull platform. These can be volatile after hours.
Sub-heading: Specify Quantity
Enter the number of shares you wish to buy or sell. For 24/5 trading, note that only whole shares are supported, not fractional shares.
Sub-heading: Choose Your Time-in-Force (TIF)
The Time-in-Force determines how long your order remains active.
Day: If your order isn't filled during the current extended session, it will be canceled at the end of that session.
Good-Til-Canceled (GTC): Your order will remain active until it's filled or you manually cancel it. However, be aware that GTC orders placed during extended hours for regular extended sessions might still be canceled at certain points. For 24/5 trading, a GTC order will persist across the overnight sessions.
Other options (like FOK - Fill or Kill, IOC - Immediate or Cancel) may be available, but "Day" or "GTC" are the most common for after-hours.
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Step 5: Review and Confirm Your Order
Before hitting that "Buy" or "Sell" button, always, always review your order details carefully.
Double-check:
Stock Symbol: Is it the correct stock?
Buy/Sell: Are you buying when you mean to sell, or vice versa?
Quantity: Is the number of shares accurate?
Limit Price: Is the price you've set appropriate given the current market conditions and your risk tolerance?
Trading Hours: Is "Include Extended Hours" or "24 Hour Market" correctly selected?
Time-in-Force: Does it match your intention?
Once you've confirmed everything looks correct, proceed to place your order.
Step 6: Monitoring Your Order and Trade
After placing your order, it's essential to monitor its status.
Sub-heading: Order Status
Go to your "Orders" tab within Webull. You'll see if your order is pending, partially filled, or filled.
If your order isn't filling, the limit price might be too far from the current market price, or there simply isn't enough liquidity at that price point.
Sub-heading: Trade Execution
If your order is filled, you'll see the executed trade in your "Positions" or "History" tab.
Remember, prices can fluctuate rapidly after hours. The price you get might be different from what you initially saw if the market moved while your order was pending.
Understanding Overnight Trading (24/5) on Webull
Webull's 24/5 trading is a significant feature that extends market access even further. Here's what you need to know:
QuickTip: Repetition signals what matters most.
Availability: It's not for all securities. Look for the purple "24" icon.
Times: Generally from Sunday 8:00 PM ET to Friday 3:58 AM ET, with short breaks.
Order Type: Only Limit Orders are supported.
Whole Shares: Only whole shares can be traded during 24/5. Fractional shares are excluded.
Trade Date: Trades executed between 8:00 PM ET and 12:00 AM ET will carry the trade date of the following trade day.
This continuous trading allows you to react to international news or earnings announcements that happen outside typical US market hours, potentially giving you an edge or allowing for immediate risk management.
After-Hours Trading Strategies and Considerations
Reacting to News: After-hours trading is often driven by news. Company earnings reports, FDA announcements, and geopolitical events can cause sharp movements. Traders use this time to react before the regular market opens.
Risk Management: Due to heightened volatility, it's crucial to use stop-loss orders (though not all order types are available, you can often set them up as separate limit orders or alerts to manually manage).
Smaller Position Sizes: Consider trading with smaller position sizes than you might during regular hours to mitigate the increased risk.
Technical Analysis: While technical indicators still apply, remember that lower volume can make chart patterns less reliable.
Stay Informed: Keep an eye on reputable financial news sources for any breaking information that could impact your holdings.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to enable extended hours trading on Webull?
To enable extended hours trading on Webull, when placing a limit order, look for the "Trading Hours" dropdown menu and select "Include Extended Hours" for standard pre-market/after-hours or "24 Hour Market" for eligible 24/5 stocks.
How to check after-hours trading times on Webull?
Webull's standard extended hours are 4:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET (pre-market) and 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET (after-hours). For 24/5 trading, it generally runs from Sunday 8:00 PM ET to Friday 3:58 AM ET for select securities. You can find these times in Webull's FAQ or disclosures.
How to place a limit order for after-hours on Webull?
Select the stock, tap "Trade," choose "Limit" as your order type, set your desired limit price and quantity, then select "Include Extended Hours" or "24 Hour Market" from the "Trading Hours" dropdown before confirming.
How to identify stocks eligible for 24/5 trading on Webull?
Stocks eligible for Webull's 24/5 overnight trading will have a distinctive purple "24" icon displayed on their stock profile page within the Webull app or desktop platform.
Reminder: Short breaks can improve focus.
How to manage risks in after-hours trading on Webull?
Manage risks by using only limit orders, considering smaller position sizes, being aware of wider bid-ask spreads, understanding lower liquidity and higher volatility, and staying informed about news releases.
How to view after-hours chart data on Webull?
On the stock's chart, look for a setting or button (often a "clover icon" or "Ext." button on the desktop) that allows you to "Include Extended Hours" or "Show Extended Hours Data" to display price action outside regular market hours.
How to cancel an after-hours order on Webull?
Navigate to your "Orders" tab within the Webull app or desktop platform, find the pending after-hours order, and select the "Cancel" option.
How to understand the difference between standard after-hours and 24/5 trading on Webull?
Standard after-hours (pre-market and post-market) are specific, shorter windows around regular trading. 24/5 trading is a much longer, nearly continuous session available for a limited list of specific stocks and ETFs.
How to find the official closing price when trading after hours on Webull?
The official closing price for a stock is determined at 4:00 PM ET during regular trading hours, regardless of any price movements during extended or overnight trading sessions.
How to use paper trading for after-hours practice on Webull?
Webull's paper trading feature allows you to simulate trades with virtual money. You can enable extended hours within paper trading just as you would for live trading, providing a risk-free environment to practice strategies and understand market behavior after hours.
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