Can I place NEPSE orders outside market hours?

The rules now allow it. In April 2026 the securities trading regulations were amended so orders can be submitted outside market hours and queue for the next session. The change reaches investors as NEPSE issues operational directives and brokers update their systems, so whether you can place an off-hours order today depends on your broker.

Does 24/7 order placement mean 24/7 trading?

No. The change covers order submission only. Orders queue and execute during market hours. There is no after-hours trading or off-market price discovery on NEPSE.

What happens to an order placed on a Friday evening?

An order placed on Friday evening enters your broker's system and is queued for the next trading session, which would be Monday morning. During Pre-Open (10:30 to 11:00 AM Monday), the order is in the book and may participate in the opening price call auction. If it is not executed during Monday's session, day orders expire at 3:00 PM.

Do all brokers support 24/7 order placement?

Not necessarily yet. The regulation allows it, but NEPSE's operational directives and each broker's TMS (Trading Management System) determine when it actually works for you. Check with your broker whether their TMS accepts after-hours entries.

Can I modify or cancel an order placed outside market hours?

Generally yes, but this depends on your broker's TMS. Orders submitted outside market hours that have not yet executed can typically be modified or cancelled before the next session opens. Check your broker's interface for the exact workflow.

All articles

Rules & regulations

NEPSE 24/7 order placement explained.

In April 2026, Nepal's securities regulations were amended to let investors place buy and sell orders outside market hours. Execution still only happens during the trading session, and the change rolls out as NEPSE and brokers switch it on. Here is what it means and what to watch out for.

4 min read · Updated · 7 Jul 2026

What changed in April 2026?

In April 2026, the Securities Trading Operation Regulations were amended so that orders can be placed outside the regular market window. Previously, orders could only be submitted during market hours. The change takes effect as NEPSE issues its operational directives and brokers update their systems, so exactly when you can place an off-hours order depends on your broker. Check your broker's TMS.

Does this mean trading happens 24/7?

No. This is an important distinction. The change covers order placement only; execution is unchanged. NEPSE still operates its standard sessions:

Pre-Open: 10:30 to 11:00 AM NPT, Monday to Friday.
Continuous trading: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM NPT, Monday to Friday.

Orders placed outside these windows simply wait in the queue. No matches occur, no prices move, and no trades settle until the next trading session begins.

What does this change practically?

Before April 2026, if you read news about a company at 9:00 PM and wanted to place a buy order, you had to remember to do it the next morning before 3:00 PM. If you forgot or were busy, you missed the day's session.

Once your broker supports it, you can act when it suits you:

Queue a buy or sell order the night before, at your leisure.
Prepare a limit order outside market hours for a stock you have been watching.

The order waits in the queue and executes (if matched) once continuous trading starts on the next scheduled session.

What should you watch out for?

Day order expiry: If your order is a day order (the default on most broker TMS platforms), it expires at 3:00 PM on the first trading day it is active, whether or not it was executed. A buy order placed Thursday night for Friday will expire at 3:00 PM Friday if not filled.
Stale price risk: You are placing a limit order based on the last known close. Overnight or over the weekend, significant news may emerge that makes your limit price either too aggressive or too conservative. Placing an order tonight does not lock in any guarantee of execution at a price you consider fair.
Broker TMS support: The feature is available at the exchange level, but your specific broker's interface must also accept after-hours entry. Confirm this with your broker if you encounter issues.

How does this fit with NEPSE's other April 2026 changes?

The 24/7 order placement was announced alongside the widening of the daily price limit from 10% to 15% and the new index circuit breaker rules. Read the circuit breakers article to understand what happens when the market halts mid-session. For the full picture of how NEPSE sessions work, see NEPSE trading hours.

Want to practise placing orders without real money at stake? Punji's virtual trading arena uses live NEPSE prices and real fee calculations so you can build order habits in a zero-risk environment.