Is the UK stock market open at the weekend? Does it have after hours trading? And why is there a 2-minute lunch break? Surely us Brits don't scoff our lunch that quickly, right?

Well, all is revealed in our UK stock market FAQs:

🤓 Nerd moment – the UK stock market's proper name is the London Stock Exchange (OOo fAnCY).

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What time does the London Stock Exchange open and close?

The London Stock Exchange is open from 8am to 12pm and 12:02pm to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday during British Summer hours.

Is the London Stock Exchange open at the weekend?

No, the London Stock Exchange is not open at the weekend. It is also closed during all major bank holidays such as New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, Christmas and Boxing Day.

Why does the London Stock Exchange close for 2 minutes at lunch?

Despite what you may think, the London Stock Exchange isn't so non-stop that people only get 2 minutes to inhale their meal deal before getting back to yelling buy and sell down the phone.

It's actually closed for 2 minutes to help prevent people from 'flash trading'. This is when a select few people can view orders before the rest of the market. Store that fact away and I promise you’ll be the favourite come your next pub quiz. 

Does the London Stock Exchange have after-hours trading?

Yes, the London Stock Exchange has both before and after hours trading. These are 5:05am to 7:50am in the morning, and 4:40pm to 5:15pm in the afternoon.

Be sure to check out our full list of stock market opening and closing times across the globe.

For specific questions relating to the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market, make sure to read our dedicated blog posts. 

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Meet the authors

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James Ashoo

Senior Content Writer

James has been investing for over five years. His aim is to explain the hard stuff, easily! When he's not chewing your ear off about stocks and crypto, he'll most likely be telling bad jokes.

Harjas Singh

Harjas Singh

Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder

With a wealth of experience in fintech, Harjas is the man in the know when it comes to all things product. Investing features, chatting capabilities and thriving communities – he oversees all development on the Shares app!

Harry Harrison

Harry Harrison

Finance Writer

Harry is an experienced business writer, with a love for all things tech. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing sport and winning at chess. He also loves posting inside the Shares app!