Nasdaq’s round-the-clock trading dream sparks debate over when markets ‘close’: What SEC suggests
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- SEC approved Nasdaq's request to extend trading hours for NMS stocks and exchange‑traded products from the current 16 hours to 23 hours a day, five days a week.
- Nasdaq intends to roll out the new schedule on December 6, splitting trading into a Day Session (4 AM–8 PM ET) and a Night Session (9 PM–4 AM ET).
- Nasdaq will pause trading each night from 8 PM to 9 PM ET for maintenance, testing, and processing corporate actions such as mergers, splits, and dividends.
- Giang Bui, Nasdaq’s head of U.S. Equities & Exchange‑Traded Products, said global investor demand and the rise of crypto and DeFi are driving the push for round‑the‑clock market access.
Why it matters: Global investors can trade U.S. stocks during their waking hours, while brokers must support a 23‑hour schedule and a daily 1‑hour maintenance pause, increasing operational demands and expanding trading opportunities.
