What Is Pre-Market
Option Trading?
Pre-Market US Stock Option Trading refers to the practice of buying and selling specific US stock option contracts prior to the official opening of the US stock market (from 16:00 to 21:30 Hong Kong Time). Through pre-market trading, investors can preemptively deploy trading strategies following the release of major earnings reports or key economic data, allowing them to adjust options positions and hedge risks at the earliest opportunity.
Hong Kong Time(US Eastern Daylight Time)
Night Trading
Pre-MarketNew
16:00 – 21:30
Regular Trading
After-Hours*During US daylight saving , pre-market session runs from 16:00 to 21:30 HKT; US standard time runs from 17:00 to 22:30 (Eastern time 04:00 - 09:30), Transition dates are subjected to official US daylight saving time annoucements.
Pre-Market Option Trading: Advantages and Risks
No Late Night Monitoring
Covers US Eastern Time 04:00 — 09:30, eliminating the need to stay up late. Local times are 16:00 — 21:30 Hong Kong Time (Daylight Saving Time), shifted back by one hour during Standard Time (17:00 — 22:30).
Breaking News Instant React
Capitalize immediately on major corporate earnings and economic data releases prior to the market open—strike early without having to wait for regular US trading hours.
Great Strategic Flexibility
Execute highly efficient investment strategies by combining advanced conditional orders tailored for popular underlying assets.
- Low Liquidity: Trading activity during pre-market hours is typically lower than during regular trading hours. The wider bid-ask spreads may result in orders not being executed as expected or at favorable prices.
- High Volatility: Due to relatively limited trading volume, fluctuations in the underlying stock, earnings announcements, or macroeconomic news are more likely to trigger sharp price swings.
Why choose trading Pre-market option in uSMART?
Wide Range of Underlying Assets
Covers pre-market options on 35 marquee US stocks and popular ETFs, including NVDA, AAPL, SPY, and more.
Multiple Options Strategies Supported
Supported Long Call, Long Put, Short Call and Short Put strategies.
*Please note that only limit orders are supported during the pre-market session. Market orders, smart orders and attached orders are currently unavailable.
Extended Trading Hours
Conveniently covering daytime and evening hours across Asia-Pacific.
US Daylight Saving Time: 16:00 - 21:30 HKT US Standard Time: 17:00 - 22:30 HKT
Low Trading Fees
Commission as low as US$0 per US stock option contract*
*Offer is subject to the relevant terms and conditions.
Start Pre-Market US Options Trading On The USMART App In Just 4 Simple Steps
![Select an underlying asset that supports pre-market options trading. Go to its details page and tap [Options].](https://web-static-prd-hongkong-1437675564.cos.accelerate.myqcloud.com/img-management/official-website-usmart/option-step1-en.png)
1Select an underlying asset that supports pre-market options trading. Go to its details page and tap [Options].
2On the options chain, select the expiry date and strike price, then tap the option contract you wish to view.
![On the option details page, tap [Trade].](https://web-static-prd-hongkong-1437675564.cos.accelerate.myqcloud.com/img-management/official-website-usmart/option-step3-en.png)
3On the option details page, tap [Trade].
4Enter the limit price and quantity, select Buy or Sell, and submit your order.
*Screens shown are for illustrative purposes only. *Please note that options trading involves a high degree of risk, and your losses may exceed the initial margin deposited. During periods of significant market volatility, trading orders may not be successfully executed. Before trading, you must fully understand how options work, particularly the procedures and obligations relating to option expiration and exercise.
FAQs
