Step 1 of 5
The trading day, step by step
MFC Stocks follows the regular US market session in New York time: 09:30–16:00 New York time; new entries stop at 15:45 and positions close from 15:50. Each day runs through the same four moments.
- The open. The session starts and any pending entries you set earlier can trigger.
- The main session. You trade normally, with the daily pause and max drawdown room shown in the ticket.
- The entry cut-off. New entries stop, and any entry order still working is cancelled.
- The automatic close. Open positions close automatically before the bell, so you are flat at the close.
On US early-close days the session ends earlier. Check the market calendar the day before so the cut-off does not surprise you.
Step 2 of 5
Why flat every night matters
Because every position closes before the bell, you carry no overnight or weekend gap risk. A bad earnings report after the close cannot hit an open position, because you do not have one.
The same rule shapes how you trade the end of the day. A position opened shortly before the cut-off has little time to work before the automatic close takes it out at the market price. That exit may be nowhere near your stop or your target. Decide your own last entry time in advance, and leave enough of the session for the trade idea to play out.
It also means you cannot hold a stock for a multi-day move. Plan setups that can resolve within one session.
Step 3 of 5
Orders while the market is closed
You can set limit and stop entries at night, at the weekend and on holidays. They trigger only once the session is open, and any entry still working at the cut-off is cancelled.
Watch stop entries at the open. A stop can fill at the opening price, not at its level. Say you place a stop buy at $101 overnight with a stop loss at $99, and 50 shares, so you plan to risk $100. If the stock opens at $103, the entry fills near $103 and the same stop loss now risks about $200. Either size overnight orders for a gap, or use limit entries where the fill price matters to you.
Step 4 of 5
Halts, the daily pause and extended hours
- Halts. A halted stock has no price, so nothing in it fills until trading resumes. A position you hold is valued at its last price and you can keep trading other stocks. If it is still halted at the close, it closes at the next open.
- Daily pause. If losses reach 2% of your starting balance, positions close and trading pauses until the next trading day. The account stays alive.
- Extended Hours add-on. It adds pre-market and after-hours trading with limit orders. Positions then close later in the evening instead of before the regular bell.
Step 5 of 5
A session plan that fits
Build your day backwards from the cut-off. Before the open, list two or three stocks, mark the levels that matter and set any entries. During the session, trade your plan and check the daily pause room after each closed trade. Well before the cut-off, decide whether you still have a reason to open anything new. After the close, review the day while it is fresh and set tomorrow’s orders.
Recap
- The trading day is fixed: 09:30–16:00 New York time; new entries stop at 15:45 and positions close from 15:50.
- Entries still working at the cut-off are cancelled, and open positions close automatically before the bell.
- Orders set at night trigger only in the session, and a stop entry can fill at the opening price.
Check yourself
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