Nasdaq vs LSE: hours, settlement and tech listings compared
How the Nasdaq Stock Market and the London Stock Exchange differ for technology investors: trading hours, currency, settlement, price limits and the tech companies each one lists.
Nasdaq: 09:30–16:00 local
LSE: 08:00–16:30 local
Key differences
- On 19 October 2026 their regular sessions overlap for 2 h 00 min, between 13:30 and 15:30 UTC. The overlap changes when clocks move for daylight-saving time.
- Nasdaq trades in USD and LSE in GBP: returns for a foreign investor include the exchange-rate move. See currency moves.
- Nasdaq settles on T+1 and LSE on T+2, which matters when you sell in one market to buy in the other.
- In the next 12 months Nasdaq has 10 weekday holidays and 2 early closes.
- In the next 12 months LSE has 8 weekday holidays and 2 early closes.
Side by side
| Nasdaq | LSE | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | United Kingdom |
| Operator | Nasdaq, Inc. | London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) |
| Currency | USD | GBP |
| Local trading hours | 09:30–16:00 (America/New_York) | 08:00–16:30 (Europe/London) |
| Your time today | — | — |
| Settlement | T+1 | T+2 |
| Price limits | No fixed daily limit. Limit Up-Limit Down bands pause single stocks after sharp moves; market-wide circuit breakers halt trading after 7%, 13% and 20% falls in the S&P 500. | No fixed daily limit. Price monitoring moves a stock into a short auction call when it moves beyond set thresholds. |
| Minimum trading unit | 1 share | 1 share |
| Regulator | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
| Technology benchmark | Nasdaq-100 (the 100 largest non-financial Nasdaq companies) | FTSE All-Share Technology (industry index) |
| Main indices | Nasdaq Composite, Nasdaq-100 | FTSE 100, FTSE 250, FTSE AIM All-Share |
| Listing boards | Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Global Market, Nasdaq Capital Market | Main Market, AIM |
Tech companies listed
Nasdaq
LSE
Examples of well-known listings, not recommendations.
More about each exchange
Guides
T+1 Settlement Explained: Which Markets Settle Next Day
The US, Canada and India already settle share trades in one day; the EU, UK and Switzerland plan to follow on 11 October 2027. What T+1 means for your cash, dividends and trades abroad.
Nasdaq vs NYSE: Where Tech Companies List and Why It Matters
Nasdaq and the NYSE share trading hours, regulator and T+1 settlement. What really differs for tech companies and investors, from index membership to listing tiers.
Growth Boards for Tech Companies Compared
Where young technology companies list around the world: AIM, Euronext Growth, First North, Scale, TSE Growth, STAR Market, ChiNext and KOSDAQ compared, with the risks for investors.