PSX Market Hours and Trading Calendar
Knowing when the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is actually open sounds simple, but it trips up plenty of investors because the schedule changes for Fridays, shifts again during Ramadan, and pauses for public holidays through the year. Some of those holidays move based on moon sighting. This guide lays out the timings clearly and, just as importantly, tells you when to double-check the official notice rather than trust a fixed number from memory.
One thing to keep front of mind throughout: timings and holiday dates can change. The schedules below reflect the official PSX timings and the 2026 calendar at the time of writing, but PSX can revise them. Treat this as orientation, and confirm the current PSX notice before you act.
Key takeaways
- PSX trades Monday to Friday and is closed on weekends and announced public holidays.
- A normal Monday-to-Thursday day has a pre-open session, a short order-matching break, continuous trading to 3:30 PM, then a post-close session.
- Friday is split into two sessions with a long midday break for Jumma prayers.
- Ramadan has its own earlier, shorter schedule, announced by PSX notice.
- Fixed-date national holidays can still shift if the government or PSX announces changes; Islamic holidays such as Eid and Ashura depend on moon sighting and official notifications.
- Always verify the current PSX schedule before trading.
PSX market hours at a glance
On a standard weekday from Monday to Thursday, the regular equity market opens for continuous trading at around 9:32 AM after a pre-open and a brief matching break. It closes at 3:30 PM, followed by a short post-close window. Fridays and Ramadan differ. Weekends are closed.
What the trading session terms mean
PSX divides the trading day into distinct phases. Here is what each one means and why it matters to you.
| Term | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-open | An order-collection window before trading starts. Brokers can enter orders, but no trades execute yet. | It helps build the opening price from accumulated buy and sell interest. Orders entered during pre-open cannot be cancelled, modified or suspended until the end of the break period. |
| Break / order matching and confirmation | A short period right after pre-open where the system matches collected orders and confirms the opening. | This is when the opening price is set, just before continuous trading begins. |
| Open / continuous trading | The main session where orders match continuously in real time. | This is when most buying and selling happens and prices move throughout the day. |
| Close | The end of continuous trading for the session. | Marks the official end of regular-session trading; the day's closing price is determined around here. |
| Post-close session | A short window after close for trading at the day's closing price. | Lets you transact at the closing price if you missed the main window. |
| Trade rectification and modification | A later administrative window to correct or adjust trades. | Operational clean-up, not a fresh market-order session for ordinary investors. |
| NDM / Square-Up / Bills and Bonds / Odd Lots | Separate market segments such as negotiated deals, square-up, debt securities and ETF odd lots. | These are specialised segments with their own hours. Check the official table if you use them. |
Regular PSX timings
These are the official regular-market session timings for a normal Monday-to-Thursday trading day.
| Session | Monday to Thursday |
|---|---|
| Regular market: pre-open | 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM |
| Break: order matching and confirmation | 9:30 AM - 9:32 AM |
| Open: continuous trading | 9:32 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Close | 3:30 PM |
| Post-close session | 3:35 PM - 3:50 PM |
| Trade rectification and modification | 3:50 PM - 4:30 PM |
Friday timing differences
Friday runs on a two-session schedule with a long midday break so participants can offer Jumma prayers. The morning session opens earlier and closes around midday; the market then reopens in the afternoon.
| Session | Friday: 1st session | Friday: 2nd session |
|---|---|---|
| Regular market: pre-open | 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM |
| Break: order matching and confirmation | 9:15 AM - 9:17 AM | 2:30 PM - 2:32 PM |
| Open: continuous trading | 9:17 AM - 12:00 PM | 2:32 PM - 4:30 PM |
| Close | 12:00 PM | 4:30 PM |
| Post-close session | - | 4:35 PM - 4:50 PM |
So on Friday, the midday gap from around 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM is a scheduled break, not an outage. Trading resumes in the afternoon.
Ramadan PSX timings
During Ramadan, PSX issues a special, shortened schedule to accommodate fasting hours, and reverts to standard timings after the month unless otherwise notified. For Ramadan 1447 AH, PSX notice PSX/N-209 dated February 18, 2026 announced the following regular-market timings.
| Session | Monday to Thursday: Ramadan | Friday: Ramadan |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-open | 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM |
| Break: order matching and confirmation | 9:15 AM - 9:17 AM | 9:15 AM - 9:17 AM |
| Market open | 9:17 AM | 9:17 AM |
| Market close | 1:30 PM | 12:30 PM |
| Post-close session | 1:35 PM - 1:50 PM | 12:35 PM - 12:50 PM |
| Trade rectification and modification | 1:50 PM - 2:20 PM | 12:50 PM - 1:20 PM |
Because Ramadan timings are set by PSX notice and Ramadan itself moves each year, always use the current year's official Ramadan schedule rather than assuming the figures above will repeat.
PSX trading holidays and calendar
PSX is closed on announced public holidays. The table below lists recurring holidays and whether each is a fixed-date or moon-sighting/official-announcement holiday. Dates shown are for 2026 as listed on the PSX calendar. Treat them as current-calendar examples and confirm the official PSX holiday calendar each year.
| Holiday | Usual timing (2026 example) | Fixed or moon/official announcement? | Investor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kashmir Day | 5 February | Fixed date, but still subject to official notice | Single-day closure. |
| Pakistan Day | 23 March | Fixed date | National public holiday. |
| Juma-Tul-Wida | 20 March 2026 | Islamic calendar / official announcement | Last Friday of Ramadan; date depends on Ramadan calendar confirmation. |
| Eid-ul-Fitr | 21-23 March 2026 | Moon sighting / official announcement | Multi-day closure; exact dates confirmed near the date. |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Fixed date | Single-day closure. |
| Eid-ul-Adha | 26-28 May 2026 | Moon sighting / official announcement | Multi-day closure; dates can shift by a day or two. |
| Youm-e-Takbeer | 28 May | Fixed date, observed per official notice | May coincide with other holidays in some years. |
| Ashura | 24-25 June 2026 | Moon sighting / official announcement | Usually a two-day closure around 9th and 10th Muharram. |
| Independence Day | 14 August | Fixed date | Single-day closure. |
| Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) | 25 August 2026 | Moon sighting / official announcement | Date may shift with Rabi-ul-Awwal moon sighting. |
| Allama Iqbal Day | 9 November | Fixed date | Observed per official calendar. |
| Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas | 25 December | Fixed date | Single-day closure. |
A few important caveats on this calendar:
- Fixed-date holidays can still shift if the government or PSX issues a change, such as a one-off adjustment or a combined long weekend.
- Islamic holidays depend on moon sighting and official notifications, so Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, Ashura and Eid Milad-un-Nabi dates can move by a day or two from any tentative schedule.
- PSX may announce additional holidays or special schedules during the year, including special sessions or unscheduled closures for operational reasons.
How to check if PSX is open today
Before assuming the market is open, run through this quick checklist:
- Is it a weekend? PSX is closed Saturday and Sunday.
- Is it an announced holiday? Check the official PSX holiday calendar, and remember Islamic holidays may have just been confirmed by moon sighting.
- Is it Ramadan? If so, use the special Ramadan timings, not the regular ones.
- Is it Friday? Expect the two-session schedule with a midday break.
- Is live data updating? During published session hours on a normal day, live PSX prices should be moving.
You can follow the PSX market in real time on Investify, including the KSE-100 and stock pages, which makes it easy to see at a glance whether prices are live. Investify is a market-data and portfolio app, not a broker, so any actual trades are placed through your licensed broker.
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Open live PSX marketThe bottom line
PSX keeps a clear daily rhythm: pre-open, a matching break, continuous trading, and a post-close window. That rhythm bends for Fridays, shifts earlier during Ramadan, and pauses for public holidays through the year. Fixed national holidays are predictable; Islamic holidays move with the moon. The safest habit is simple: know the normal schedule, but always confirm the current PSX trading-hours and holiday notices before you plan a trade.
Related reading
Sources and references
