New York morning is Seoul night

In New York, the stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. At that very moment, it is 10:30 or 11:30 p.m. in Seoul and Tokyo, and 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. in Shanghai. This one-hour difference depends on whether Daylight Saving Time is in effect in New York. In Madrid, it is usually 3:30 p.m. The same opening bell rings as the first news of the day for some after arriving at work, while for others it is the last news before falling asleep.

What makes this time difference interesting is that it prompts different questions regarding the same market. If you open a chart in New York in the morning, you ask, "How will the market move today?" If you wake up in Seoul and open the same chart, the first thought that comes to mind is, "What happened while I was sleeping?" Even though the chart is the same, for one person it is a day yet to unfold, while for another, it is a story that has already ended.

This difference is also evident when recording TQQQ trading activity. The regular session that ends on Tuesday afternoon in New York is Wednesday dawn in Seoul. Therefore, when recording the numbers you see on Wednesday mornings, distinguishing between the date you checked and the U.S. trading day on which those figures were generated makes it easier to reread the charts later.

Reviewing your trading performance on a two-week basis is beneficial for this reason. While the fluctuations visible every morning are large and distinct, what needs to be checked is slightly different once the cycle ends and you look back. You need to check where your valuation stood in the V-band, how much cash remains in your cash pool, and what trades were actually made during that time. The day with the biggest overnight movement is not necessarily the same as the most important day of your trading.

The next time you read an article about the U.S. stock market, take a look at the date and time next to the return figures. The reason people tell different stories even when looking at the same numbers is sometimes found in that small clock.

Trading Hours Source · New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Holidays & Trading Hours

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