Nasdaq is preparing for a major overhaul of its trading schedule, with plans to keep its US stock market open for nearly 23 hours a day, five days a week.
The move is aimed at catering to rising global demand for US equities and giving investors more opportunities to trade outside conventional US market hours.
Under the proposed schedule, Nasdaq would introduce an overnight trading session running from 9 pm to 4 am ET, bridging the gap between its existing after-hours and pre-market sessions.
The expanded trading week would begin at 9 pm on Sunday and continue until 8 pm on Friday, with a one-hour daily break between 8 pm and 9 pm ET for processing and the transition between trading dates.
Nasdaq's New Overnight Trading Session
Nasdaq said the new session is expected to start on December 6, 2026, although the launch remains subject to approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and readiness of the securities information processor.
The exchange currently permits trading between 4 am and 8 pm ET, with the regular market operating from 9:30 am to 4 pm. These existing trading hours will remain unchanged under the proposed system.
Nasdaq said the regular session will continue to be the primary reference point for price discovery, while the overnight window will offer investors greater flexibility to trade US stocks across different time zones.
However, overnight trading will come with certain restrictions. Market participants will require new ports to place orders, while market orders and some opening and closing order types will not be available.
New Safeguards for Extended Trading
Orders that remain active when the overnight session ends at 4 am ET will be cancelled and will need to be re-entered when the following session begins.
Nasdaq also plans to introduce safeguards, including static price bands designed to reject orders placed outside specified limits, subject to regulatory approval.
Trading information from the overnight session will be provided through a separate market-data feed. The exchange also plans to introduce additional products to expand market coverage.
The proposed 23-hour schedule will apply specifically to the Nasdaq Stock Market. Nasdaq Texas, PSX and Nasdaq's options exchanges will continue operating under their existing schedules.
Nasdaq said the industry's transition to a 23-hour trading day is currently targeted for December 6, 2026, pending SEC approvals and the readiness of market infrastructure.
