Nasdaq is preparing to launch an overnight trading session: it will allow trading 23 hours a day

Nasdaq is in talks with regulators to launch a new overnight trading session as early as December 6. The initiative could allow Nasdaq to trade 23 hours a day, five days a week—starting Sunday evening.

The new trading session—if the exchange owner manages to obtain all the necessary permits—will take place from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Astana). The first trades during this time period could begin as early as 9:00 p.m. on December 6, according to a statement from the trading platform.

The need to extend trading hours on the Nasdaq was attributed to growing global demand for U.S. stocks.

Once the updated trading hours take effect, trading on Nasdaq will be available every day of the week, from 9:00 p.m. on Sunday (Eastern Time) until 8:00 p.m. on Friday (that is, from 7:00 a.m. on Monday to 6:00 a.m. on Saturday in Astana)—with a one-hour break from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day (from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.).

Currently—taking into account extended trading hours (that is, the pre-market session, regular trading hours, and the after-market session) — the Nasdaq operates every business day from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, according to Barron’s — that is, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in Astana.

Despite the already scheduled start date for the revised trading hours, the launch of the new night session still depends on the “readiness” of the securities information processor (Securities Information Processor, SIP), as well as on changes to the relevant rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to Barron’s.

Nasdaq has been preparing to extend trading hours for several months now. Investor behavior has changed dramatically, said Chuck Mack, Nasdaq’s senior vice president for North American markets, in December 2025. Mobile platforms and global integration mean that markets must be just as accessible as the apps investors use every day, he noted.

Other U.S. exchanges are also preparing to extend their trading sessions. In February 2025, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) became the first registered stock exchange to apply for and receive regulatory approval to extend its weekday trading hours until 10 p.m. In July 2026, the NYSE also announced plans to launch 23-hour trading—the exchange, like Nasdaq, plans to begin on December 6, Barron’s reports. In March 2026, the Cboe Global Markets exchange group also submitted a proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch 24-hour trading.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor