Investors need to know: Stock trading schedule at HOSE, HNX, Upcom exchanges

If you want to start investing in stocks or derivatives in Vietnam, the first thing to remember is what time does the stock market open and the specific order matching rules. This not only affects the timing of your order placement but also directly impacts your trading prices.

The current size of the Vietnamese stock market

After more than 20 years of development, the Vietnam stock exchange has become a trusted market with over 1,600 listed companies and a total market capitalization of 4 quadrillion VND (equivalent to 171 billion USD). Additionally, the derivatives market has only been operating for 3 years but has recorded a trading volume growth of up to 3.3 times annually.

What time does the stock market open at the three main exchanges?

All three exchanges, HOSE, HNX, and Upcom, trade from Monday to Friday (closed on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays), averaging about 250 days per year.

Main trading hours for the underlying stocks:

• 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM is the main operating window
• 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM: Pre-opening preparation period
• Break from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

However, each exchange has its own order matching mechanism:

HOSE has a periodic opening auction (ATO) from 9:00-9:15 and a closing auction (ATC) from 2:30-2:45 PM, with continuous trading between these sessions using order types: LO, MP, MOK, MAK, MTL.

HNX is similar to HOSE but adds after-hours trading (PLO) from 2:45-3:00 PM and does not have an ATO opening session.

Upcom is a special exchange because it does not have any periodic auction sessions (no ATO, no ATC), only continuous trading with LO orders.

Derivatives trading starts earlier

Derivative products such as the VN30 index and 5-year Government Bond Futures start trading 15 minutes earlier than the underlying stocks:

• 8:45 AM - 11:30 AM (Session I)
• 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM (Session II)

Settlement times and important notes

Besides trading hours, you should pay attention to settlement times to avoid cash flow issues:

• T + 0: Same-day settlement
• T + 1: Settlement after 1 business day (applies to bonds)
• T + 2: Settlement after 2 business days (applies to stocks, fund certificates, ETFs)

Note that T+1 and T+2 do not include Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, so weekend trades may extend settlement times.

Tips for new investors

If you are not familiar with different order types, start with LO limit order (limit order) because it can be used continuously throughout trading hours on all three exchanges. Understanding each exchange’s trading hours will help you optimize your trading strategy and avoid unnecessary mistakes caused by trading outside of hours.