After-Hours Stock Quotes

Stock exchanges have specified trading hours in which market players can go about their stock trading transactions. This doesn't mean though that buying and selling of stocks have to stop when regular trading comes to a close. In the after-hours market, traders can still have access to after-hours stock quotes and buy and sell shares.

After-hours trading was previously limited to institutional market players and high net-worth traders. Retail traders were able to gain access to after-hours market with the arrival of the computerized order placement systems also known as Electronic Communication Networks (ECN). Since giant market makers are not required to participate in after-hours trading, the market is usually less liquid and more volatile.

There could also be a wide spread between the bid and ask prices of a stock which means that it'll be harder for a trader to buy or sell shares at his desired price. Because of the inherent risks of the after-hours market, traders are advised to use the limit order.

After-hours stock quotes are available during trading although there is a 15-minute delay on updates. These stock quotes are important not only to traders who are executing orders in the after-hours market but also to market players who want a gauge of the market activity the next day. After-hours stock quotes can be a good indicator of how the market will perform in the next trading day.