when is the deadline to submit an order for the opening cross 
orders for the opening cross should be submitted before 9 28 a m orders submitted after 9 28 a m are considered late regular hours orders and treated as imbalance only orders 1 buy orders only execute at or below the 9 30 a m ask while sell orders execute at or above the 9 30 a m bid price these orders help add liquidity during the opening cross the bottom linethe opening cross is an important process that allows nasdaq to display clear opening prices to investors it also permits investors to buy or sell shares as soon as the market opens without having to worry about large bid ask spreads or a muddy pricing picture that would affect trading 