The S&P 500 outside U.S. cash hours and on weekends
Source: Hyperliquid / Last updated: / Perpetual-futures prices are reference values.
The S&P 500 is the headline U.S. equity index. There are times when you want to follow it while the U.S. market is shut, or over a weekend.
This article sets out the options for following, or trading, the S&P 500 overnight and at weekends. They are laid out on the facts, from the angle of CFDs, futures and 24-hour markets.
What the S&P 500 is
An index built from about 500 companies
The S&P 500 is a stock index calculated from the share prices of about 500 leading U.S. companies. It is referenced worldwide as a gauge of the U.S. equity market as a whole.
It is referenced worldwide as a gauge of the U.S. equity market as a whole.
The hours the index itself moves
The index itself updates while the U.S. market is open. Outside those hours, the S&P 500 index itself does not move. That is what gives the alternatives below their purpose.
| Period | U.S. Eastern Time | Japan time |
|---|---|---|
| Daylight saving time | 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | 22:30 – 05:00 next day |
| Standard time | 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | 23:30 – 06:00 next day |
In Eastern Time the regular session does not shift; what shifts is the Japan-time mapping. Times move around the daylight-saving changeover.
The index moves during U.S. cash hours.
Four ways to follow it outside those hours
There are four covered here.
- Extended-hours trading in U.S. equities
- Futures, such as the E-mini S&P 500
- CFDs, contracts for difference
- 24-hour reference prices
Extended-hours trading in U.S. equities
U.S. equities have extended-hours sessions before and after the regular session. They are called the pre-market and the after-hours session.
This applies to instruments such as ETFs that track the S&P 500. Moves in those sessions can give a sense of direction.
Note that extended hours have fewer participants and moves can be rougher.
Moves can be followed, but it is a rougher session.
Futures, such as the E-mini S&P 500
The S&P 500 has futures listed on CME, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The best known of them, the E-mini S&P 500 future, trades from Sunday through Friday. The session is long, close to around the clock.
Trading runs from the evening local time into the following day, with a short break in between.
That is why moves while the U.S. regular session is shut tend to show up in the futures — reactions to overseas news and to economic data.
Futures do carry an expiry, the contract month. When the date arrives, the contract is settled. For exact hours and calendars, check the official sites of the exchange or your broker.
Long hours on one side, an expiry on the other.
CFDs, contracts for difference
CFDs tracking the S&P 500 can be traded at some providers for close to 24 hours on weekdays. The hours shift depending on whether U.S. daylight saving time is in effect. That applies to CFDs generally.
Hours, product coverage and weekend handling differ by provider. Check each provider's own site for the detail.
CFDs can be leveraged. Depending on the move, large losses can arise over a short period.
Costs equivalent to interest and dividends, and the spread, also affect the result. Understanding the mechanism before use matters.
Close to 24 hours, with cost and leverage risk attached.
24-hour reference prices
A perpetual future is a futures contract with no settlement date.
Some crypto-related venues list perpetual futures that track the S&P 500 and similar indices. Those prices are in some cases quoted 24 hours a day, weekends included.
These are reference values. They are not the price of the S&P 500 index itself. Liquidity and the character of the price also differ from venue to venue.
Their place is as a rough marker of direction.
A number moving around the clock is a reference value, not the index.
How the four differ
They all follow the same index, and their characters are different. What differs is the hours, the expiry, the cost and the character of the price.
| Method | The point to hold on to |
|---|---|
| Extended-hours trading in U.S. equities | Moves can be rougher |
| Futures | Long hours, but an expiry |
| CFDs | Close to 24 hours, with carry cost and leverage risk |
| 24-hour reference prices | Not the index itself, a reference value |
Whether you want to trade, or only to watch the moves, changes which of these fits. This article is a general description of the mechanisms. It does not recommend any product or trade.
Trading and watching are different purposes, and they suit different instruments.
What StockTicker24 shows
StockTicker24 runs a dashboard. Reference values related to the S&P 500 can be seen in one list, overnight and at weekends alike.
Perpetual-futures prices traded on offshore crypto-derivatives venues are among the reference figures included. Details of the source are set out on the About the data page.
Even while the U.S. market is shut, one marker is visible: which way the related price is pointing.
These are reference values, not the S&P 500 index itself. For which products can actually be traded and when, check the official information from brokers and exchanges.
What is displayed is a reference value, not the S&P 500 index itself.
Common questions
Does the S&P 500 index itself move at the weekend?
The index itself updates while the U.S. market is open. Outside those hours it does not move.
What are U.S. regular trading hours?
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time. In Japan time that is 22:30 to 05:00 the next day under daylight saving time, and 23:30 to 06:00 the next day under standard time. Times move around the daylight-saving changeover.
Can a futures position be held indefinitely?
Futures carry an expiry, the contract month. When the date arrives, the contract is settled.
Are CFD trading hours the same at every provider?
Hours, product coverage and weekend handling differ by provider. Check each provider's own site for the detail.
Is a price quoted 24 hours a day the S&P 500 index?
It is not the price of the S&P 500 index itself. It is a reference value.
Where do I check exact trading hours?
On the official sites of each provider and each exchange.
Summary
- The options for following it overnight and at weekends are extended-hours trading, futures, CFDs and 24-hour reference prices.
- Hours, expiry, cost and the character of the price differ across them.
- What can be checked, and in which hours, differs by option.
- A 24-hour reference price is not the index itself; it is a reference value.
- For exact trading hours and product specifications, always check the official sites of each provider and each exchange.