Why Pre-Market, Regular, and After-Hours Data Can Differ
Trading sessions differ in liquidity, eligible venues, and the prices and volumes available to a data feed.
Read the draftReal-Time Market Data
What Happens When the Market Is Closed?
The regular U.S. equity session can be closed while some stocks still trade in extended hours. A cash index's official close, a stock's latest trade, and a futures price may therefore describe different markets or times.
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Read the session indicator
A market-closed status means the regular cash session is not active under the application's session rules. It does not by itself mean every instrument has stopped trading. Check the exchange calendar for holidays and early closes.
Distinguish the last value from the close
The last available trade may be from an extended session or a single-venue feed. The official regular-session close has a defined calculation and time. A chart can also retain yesterday's value until its selected feed receives an eligible update.
Interpret a quiet screen
Before troubleshooting a flat chart, check symbol, session, timestamp, feed, and entitlement. For missing or stale data during an active session, use Help's connection and quote guides; never paste API secrets into a website form.
Sources and further reading
- Nasdaq Stock Market Holiday Schedule and Trading HoursRegular and extended-hours session definitions
- Alpaca Market Data FAQFeed coverage, entitlements, and recent historical data