The London Stock Exchange (LSEG.L) has unveiled plans to launch a night-time trading site in the first half of 2027, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing the company.
LSE's new exchange will operate separately from LSE's main market, and initially offer access to exchange-traded products such as funds tracking the UK or U.S. stock market, the FT said.
The move comes as exchanges grapple with the growth of cryptocurrencies and other assets that are not restricted by traditional opening hours, which has raised expectations, particularly among retail traders, of being able to trade anytime.
Nasdaq (NDAQ.O) plans to extend trading to 23 hours on weekdays in December, while CME (CME.O) rolled out 24x7 trading of crypto futures and options in late May, and Cboe (CBOE.Z) plans to launch 23x5 trading of U.S. equities on its EDGX Equities Exchange in December.
LSE's new exchange will operate from 5 p.m. to 7:50 a.m. London time, with a 30-minute pause between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to apply end-of-day processes, the FT said, adding that the main venue will continue operating under its standard hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Julia Hoggett, chief executive of the LSE, told the FT that there was an increasing appetite, particularly from retail investors around the world, "to use London given our particular timezone, to gain exposure to not only UK assets but global assets".
LSE and Hoggett could not immediately be reached for comment outside regular business hours.
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