What time does the stock exchange close in Spain? Opening hours and trading times

The Madrid Stock Exchange represents the epicenter of Spanish stock market activity and understanding its trading hours is essential for successful operations. This market, integrated into the Spanish Stock Market Interconnection System (SIBE) along with the Valencia, Barcelona, and Bilbao stock exchanges, functions as a trading platform for major Spanish companies.

▶ Trading Hours at the Madrid Stock Exchange

The regular trading session is structured into three key periods:

Opening Auction: From 8:30 am to 9:00 am (CEST time) Continuous Trading: From 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (CEST time) Closing Auction: From 5:30 pm to 5:35 pm (CEST time)

These hours apply Monday through Friday. The market remains closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

▶ What time does the stock exchange close in Spain exactly?

The Madrid Stock Exchange ends its regular trading at 5:30 pm (17:30 local time). However, it is important to note that after this formal close, there is a five-minute closing auction (until 5:35 pm) where pending orders are executed and a equilibrium price is established.

▶ Trading start time

Operations begin at 9:00 am local Spanish time. Prior to this, there is an opening auction period that allows unexecuted orders from the previous day and new orders to cross, determining the session’s initial price.

▶ Closing calendar: Public holidays in 2025

The Madrid Stock Exchange publishes its official non-trading calendar. For 2025, the closed days are:

◆ January 1 (Wednesday) ◆ April 18 (Friday) ◆ April 21 (Monday) ◆ May 1 (Thursday) ◆ December 25 (Thursday) ◆ December 26 (Friday)

Additionally, some days feature half-day trading with reduced hours as published in the official Trading Calendar.

▶ Historical context of the Madrid Stock Exchange

Founded on September 10, 1831, through the Madrid Stock Exchange Creation Law drafted by jurist Pedro Sainz de Andino, the institution began operations on October 20 of the same year. The first quotations were from banks, railroads, and steel companies.

Integration into the SIBE was completed in 1995, consolidating the four Spanish stock exchanges into a single system. In 2001, Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME) took over comprehensive management. The IBEX 35 index, created on January 14, 1992, includes the 35 largest-capitalization companies in the Spanish market.

▶ Why is it crucial to know what time the Madrid Stock Exchange closes

The Madrid Stock Exchange hosts the leading Spanish corporations with international reach: major financial entities like BBVA and Banco Santander, leading construction firms such as ACS, Ferrovial, and Acciona, as well as the largest retailer, Inditex. Knowing their exact hours guarantees unrestricted access to these key assets for diversified portfolios.

▶ Pre-market and after-market hours

In addition to regular trading, there are special sessions:

Pre-market (Opening Auction): 8:30 am - 9:00 am. Gathers pending orders from the previous close and new orders, determining the opening price.

After-market (Closing Auction): 5:30 pm - 5:35 pm. Sets an equilibrium price to execute orders not satisfied during continuous trading.

▶ Time equivalence in Spanish-speaking capitals

For investors in other countries, the opening and closing hours of the Madrid Stock Exchange correspond as follows:

Caracas: 3:00 am - 11:30 pm Lima: 2:00 am - 10:30 pm Buenos Aires: 4:00 am - 12:30 pm Mexico City: 1:00 am - 9:30 pm Santiago de Chile: 3:00 am - 11:30 pm Bogotá: 2:00 am - 10:30 pm La Paz: 3:00 am - 11:30 pm Quito: 2:00 am - 10:30 pm Montevideo: 4:00 am - 12:30 pm

▶ First steps to operate

1. Register on an authorized platform
2. Deposit funds into the account
3. Access the trading session at the scheduled time