SEC Considering Extended Trading Hours to 23 Hours a Day
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is exploring ways to enable stock trading for up to 23 hours per day, five days a week by the end of this year. SEC Chair Paul Atkins emphasized that global markets are active around the clock and expressed confidence in adapting protections for off-hours traders. The agency plans to host a public roundtable on September 17 to assess infrastructure readiness, risks, and liquidity concerns associated with extended trading hours. Currently, some retail brokerages like Robinhood, Interactive Brokers, and Charles Schwab offer 24-hour trading for select stocks, but major U.S. exchanges remain open only during traditional market hours (9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.). The SEC aims to ensure that extended trading is implemented responsibly while addressing questions about liquidity variations across different times of the day.
Topics: 24-hour trading global markets SEC stock market hours