You can make an order on the US share markets at any time. Orders are placed live on the NYSE and Nasdaq, so any order you make outside market hours will be completed when the markets next open.
The US share markets open between 9:30am - 4pm Eastern Time, which is:
11 Mar - 6 Apr 2024: market hours NZ time is 2:30am - 9am
US daylight saving starts 11 Mar NZT (10 Mar UST)
7 Apr - 28 Sep 2024: market hours NZ time is 1.30am - 8am
NZ daylight savings ends 7 Apr
29 Sep - 3 Nov 2024: market hours NZ time is 2:30am - 9am
NZ daylight savings starts 29 Sep
3 Nov 24 - 9 Mar 2025: market hours NZ time is 3:30am - 10am
US daylight savings ends 4 Nov NZT (3 Nov UST)
US daylight saving starts 10 Mar NZT (9 Mar UST)
🚨 Important: Any market orders placed while the markets are closed will be completed at the opening share price (the estimate you see in Hatch the closing share price). Share prices can change from the price you see, and in some cases may be materially higher or lower than the estimate in 'after-hours trading'. This is because while everyday investors have to stop investing when the markets close, big institutions can keep going. If you're keen to keep track of after-hours trading we suggest that you use Yahoo Finance or similar tools.
Want to have more control over the price you get?
If you want the most certainty possible over the price you pay, place limit orders to specify the exact price you want to pay. You may risk the order not being completed if the share price doesn't meet what you enter, but if it does go through, you'll get the exact price you expect (or a better price!).
If you place a market order when the US share markets are open you can choose to place your order when the market price is trading closer to the price that you want. But note that market orders will always be subject to market movements, which can be significant in a volatile market.