Rakuten Securities is extending US stock trading hours for Japanese clients to 16 hours daily starting June 22, adding an after-market session from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Japan time during US daylight saving. The new window allows limit orders on US stocks, ADRs, and ETFs, enabling clients to react to earnings and overnight news. The broker already added pre-market trading in January, bringing total hours to 12 before this expansion.
The move follows parent company Rakuten Securities Holdings’ May 2025 investment in 24X US Holdings, which operates the first SEC-approved exchange offering extended hours from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. New York time. Competition is intensifying as Nasdaq targets 24-hour trading by late 2026, while NYSE and Cboe have announced similar round-the-clock plans. The rush reflects surging Asian demand to access US markets outside traditional Wall Street hours.
FXnCO Insight
Extended trading windows create new volatility pockets and liquidity gaps that traders must monitor, particularly around earnings releases hitting during Asian business hours.
Source: Finance Magnates