US stock exchanges to expand trading to 23 hours daily

Major US stock exchanges, including the NYSE Group and Nasdaq, plan to expand trading hours to 23 hours per day starting December 6. The new schedule will include a night session from 21:00 to 04:00, with a one-hour break from 20:00 to 21:00 for system maintenance and processing.

This change is expected to significantly benefit investors in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Japan and South Korea, by providing better overlap with local trading hours. Currently, US markets operate regular sessions from 09:30 to 16:00 Eastern Time, with limited pre-market and after-hours access.

Nasdaq Senior Vice President of North American Markets, Chuck Mack, noted that much of the demand for extended hours is expected to originate from Asia. Japanese investors anticipate that the expansion will allow for more direct trading of individual US stocks during their local daytime, rather than being limited to exchange-traded funds (ETFs).