The Nasdaq is preparing to roll out 23-hour, five-day-a-week trading for U.S. stocks and ETFs, marking a major shift in how global investors access American markets.
The First Step Towards Round-The-Clock Trading
The second-largest stock exchange in the world, with a total market capitalization of $41.23 trillion, is set to file paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, marking its formal push to extend trading hours and meet the surging demand for nonstop equity trading, according to a Reuters report.
The new plan would expand Nasdaq’s trading schedule from 16 to 23 hours per weekday. The updated format includes a day session from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by a one-hour break, and a night session from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following calendar day.
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The trading week would begin Sunday at 9 p.m. and end Friday at 8 p.m., and the move comes amid the growing foreign holding of U.S. equities, which, according to the Nasdaq, hit $17 trillion last year.
Currently, extended-hours trading occurs in three sessions spanning 16 hours. But the expanded schedule would consolidate activity into two longer sessions, streamlining access for international traders. Night trades executed between 9 p.m. and midnight will be counted toward the next calendar day.
According to Nasdaq Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) President Tal Cohen, the exchange operator plans to roll out nonstop, round-the-clock, five-day-a-week trading in the second half of 2026.
The exchange did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for a comment. This story will be updated as soon as we receive a response.
Growing Momentum For 24 Hour Stock Trading
Nasdaq’s move comes amid growing momentum for 24-hour trading, with the SEC approving the first such stock exchange over a year ago, to 24 Exchange, backed by Steve Cohen‘s Point72 Ventures.
Broker-dealers such as Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE:SCHW) and Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) already feature 24-hour trading capabilities across U.S. stocks and ETFs, and this comes years after TD Ameritrade became the first broker to begin offering this.
Nasdaq’s peers, such as exchange operator CBOE Global Markets, Inc. (BATS:CBOE) and the New York Stock Exchange’s parent company, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE), have recently made filings with the SEC for extended trading hours.
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