When does the Spanish market operate? Everything you need to know about what time the stock exchange opens in Spain

If you are an investor or trader interested in Spanish stocks, knowing exactly what time the stock exchange opens in Spain is essential for planning your trading strategy smoothly. The Madrid Stock Exchange, as the governing institution of the Iberian stock market system, maintains a specific schedule that you must master to make the most of your operations.

Why is it crucial to understand the Spanish market hours?

The Madrid Stock Exchange concentrates Spain’s financial pulse and is where the country’s corporate giants are listed. We are talking about world-class institutions like BBVA and Banco Santander in the financial sector, internationally renowned construction companies like ACS, Ferrovial, and Acciona, or the retail leader Inditex. All of them make up the exclusive IBEX 35, the index that reflects the health of the Spanish market. Understanding what time the stock exchange opens in Spain allows you to seize opportunities from the very first moment prices start to move.

Complete trading time slots

The Spanish stock market operates under the SIBE (Sistema de Interconexión Bursátil Español), which integrates four markets: Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, and Bilbao. Below are the operating times:

Schedule in CEST (Central European Summer Time)

The main session: When does your trading actually start?

The regular trading session begins at 9:00 am local time. This is when the stock exchange in Spain enters its most active and dynamic phase. From this moment, you can execute transactions on the most relevant Spanish market securities without any restrictions.

The closing: When does the trading day end?

The regular trading day lasts until 5:30 pm, when traders must close their positions if they wish. After this official close, there is a brief 5-minute equilibrium auction window that allows for adjusting pending orders.

Pre-market and after-market: The invisible sessions

Before the stock exchange officially opens in Spain, there is an opening auction that starts at 8:30 am. This phase allows orders from the previous day plus new orders received during the auction period to be executed, thus setting the session’s starting price.

Similarly, after closing at 5:30 pm, there is a 5-minute closing auction where an equilibrium price is reached for orders not executed during the session.

Two centuries of Spanish stock market history

The Madrid Stock Exchange was founded on September 10, 1831, through the Creation Law drafted by the Sevillian jurist Pedro Sainz de Andino. The first traded securities were shares of banks, steel companies, and railways. Over the years, Bilbao (1890), Barcelona (1915), and Valencia (1980) joined. In 1995, all were integrated under the SIBE, and since 2001, its management has been handled by Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME).

The IBEX 35, created on January 14, 1992, brings together the 35 companies with the highest market capitalization in Spain and acts as a thermometer of the Iberian economy.

The holiday calendar you need to mark

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

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

Occasionally, there are days with reduced hours, which are also communicated in advance.

Time conversion for Latin America

If you operate from Latin America, here is what time the stock exchange opens in Spain converted to your time zones:

First steps to operate in Spanish markets

1. Register on your trading platform
2. Deposit funds into your account
3. Start trading when the session activates