The U.S. Nasdaq previously announced that its global trading hours initiative will officially launch on December 6, 2026, ushering in a new era of U.S. stocks trading 23 hours a day, five days a week.
Nasdaq stated that the plan, referred to as '24/5' trading, means providing nearly 24 hours of trading services each day, five days a week. Under the new arrangement, trading will be available 23 hours per day, five days per week, with a one-hour break each day from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time (8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Malaysia Time) for system maintenance and related operations.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the related proposal on April 10 this year. The specific implementation timeline will depend on the system upgrades of the U.S. Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) settlement system and the Securities Information Processor (SIP) infrastructure.
Under the current system, Nasdaq operates three trading sessions on regular days: pre-market trading from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET, regular trading hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, and after-hours trading from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
Mike, Senior Vice President of Nasdaq North America Markets, pointed out that the new system will, in the future, divide Nasdaq trading into day and night sessions. The day session will run from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by a one-hour market close for system maintenance and trading day transitions; the night session will be from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. ET the next day.
The day trading session will still include pre-market, regular, and after-hours trading, while keeping the 9:30 a.m. opening bell and 4:00 p.m. closing bell. During the night trading session, trades completed from 9:00 p.m. to midnight will be considered transactions for the next trading day.
Under the new system, the trading week will begin at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday and end at 8:00 p.m. on Friday.
Mike stated that this reform is not just about extending trading hours, but also aims to expand global investors' opportunities to participate in the U.S. stock market, enabling investors in different time zones to trade at their convenience, while maintaining market trust and orderly trading.