Closing Price

Closing prices of stocks are often reported in newspapers or on websites. However, not all closing prices are the same.

A "Closing price" GeneRally refers to the last price at which a stock trades during a regular trading session. For example, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market have regular trading sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

But some market centers offer after-hours trading although with markedly smaller volume and liquidity levels. Some financial publications and market data vendors use the last trade in these after-hours markets as the closing price for the day. Others will publish the 4:00 p.m. price as the closing price and display prices for after-hours trading separately.

This can be confusing especially when a single, low-volume after-hours trade occurs at a price substantially different from the 4:00 p.m. closing price. For example, an investor might read on a company's website that its stock closed at one price but then see a much different price on the consolidated tape flashing across the bottom of her or his television screen.

http://www.sec.gov/answers/closepr.htm

http://www.investorwords.com/907/closing_price.html

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/pricesnews/prices/priceshelp/