PSX timings: when the market opens and closes
The Pakistan Stock Exchange trades Monday to Friday, Pakistan time. Each session starts with a pre-open, Friday runs in two halves, and Ramadan has its own shorter timings. Here are the times, and what happens in each part of the day.
Short answer
Monday to Thursday: pre-open 9:15 to 9:30 AM, trading 9:32 AM to 3:30 PM.
Friday: pre-open 9:00 to 9:15 AM and trading 9:17 AM to 12:00 PM, then a second pre-open 2:15 to 2:30 PM and trading 2:32 to 4:30 PM.
All times are Pakistan time. The market is closed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, and keeps shorter hours in Ramadan.
Monday to Thursday
| Session | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-open | Orders go in. Nothing trades yet. | 9:15 to 9:30 AM |
| Break | Orders are matched and the market opens. | 9:30 to 9:32 AM |
| Open | Continuous trading. | 9:32 AM to 3:30 PM |
| Post-close | A short session after the close. | 3:35 to 3:50 PM |
Friday
Friday runs as two sessions with a long break in the middle of the day, and it closes an hour later than the other days.
| Session | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-open | 9:00 to 9:15 AM | 2:15 to 2:30 PM |
| Break | 9:15 to 9:17 AM | 2:30 to 2:32 PM |
| Open | 9:17 AM to noon | 2:32 to 4:30 PM |
| Post-close | None | 4:35 to 4:50 PM |
From noon until the second pre-open at 2:15 PM, the regular market does not trade. The second session starts with its own pre-open, so the afternoon opens much like the morning does.
What happens in the pre-open
For the first fifteen minutes of a session, buyers and sellers can place orders, but no trade happens. When the pre-open ends, the exchange takes two minutes to match the orders it has collected, and the first trades of the session come out of that match. Continuous trading starts after it.
One rule catches people out. PSX states that an order entered during the pre-open cannot be cancelled or changed until that two-minute matching break is over. Place a pre-open order only at a price you are happy to keep.
The pre-open book can look very different from the market a few minutes later, because nothing in it has traded yet. Our guide to reading the order book explains what the book shows and what it does not.
PSX timings in Ramadan
PSX sets shorter hours for Ramadan in a notice before the month starts. In Ramadan 2026, every day had one session, including Friday. Monday to Thursday ran like this:
| Session | Time |
|---|---|
| Pre-open | 9:00 to 9:15 AM |
| Break | 9:15 to 9:17 AM |
| Open | 9:17 AM to 1:30 PM |
| Post-close | 1:35 to 1:50 PM |
Friday had the same pre-open and break, and closed an hour earlier: trading ran from 9:17 AM to 12:30 PM, with the post-close from 12:35 to 12:50 PM.
From PSX notice PSX/N-209 of 18 February 2026. The regular timings apply again once Ramadan ends. PSX issues a new notice each year, so check it before the next Ramadan.
Holidays and halts
- Holidays: the exchange is closed on public holidays. Holidays that depend on the moon are confirmed by PSX notice closer to the day.
- Market halts: if the KSE-30 index moves 5% from the previous close, PSX halts every equity market and reopens about an hour later with a fresh pre-open. Our guide to upper lock, lower lock and market halts has the details.
Quick answers
What time does PSX open?
Orders can go in from 9:15 AM, Monday to Thursday, and continuous trading starts at 9:32 AM. On Friday the pre-open starts at 9:00 AM and trading at 9:17 AM.
What time does PSX close?
3:30 PM Monday to Thursday, and 4:30 PM on Friday.
What are PSX timings on Friday?
Two sessions: pre-open 9:00 AM and trading 9:17 AM to 12:00 PM, then pre-open 2:15 PM and trading 2:32 to 4:30 PM.
What are PSX timings in Ramadan?
Shorter, and set by PSX notice each year. In Ramadan 2026, trading ran from 9:17 AM to 1:30 PM Monday to Thursday, and to 12:30 PM on Friday.
Is PSX open on Saturday?
No. The regular market trades Monday to Friday only.
When do my shares arrive after I buy?
One business day after the trade. Since 9 February 2026, PSX trades settle T+1: see what T+1 settlement means.