EURONEXT Dublin has said it does not see an immediate need to extend its trading hours, but is paying attention to growing international momentum toward longer or near-24-hour trading windows.
The exchange, which operates from 8am to 4:30pm, is maintaining its current schedule while continuing to consult with market participants on the issue.
“Euronext is continuously engaging with its clients on the extension of trading hours, and no clear consensus is yet emerging,” the company said. “Some participants are more in favour of shortening the number of trading hours.”
The London Stock Exchange, which shares the same operating hours as Dublin, is considering 24-hour trading, according to a report in the Financial Times.
In the United States, major exchanges are actively pushing for longer hours.
The New York Stock Exchange has proposed extending trading on its NYSE Arca platform to 22 hours a day.
Nasdaq and the Cboe options exchange are also planning to expand their trading windows, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has given preliminary approval for the launch of a new venue, the 24X National Exchange, that would trade almost continuously.
Euronext Dublin, previously the Irish Stock Exchange, was acquired by the pan-European operator Euronext in 2018.
It now forms part of a group that also includes exchanges in Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo, and Paris.
The Dublin market is used by over 4,000 issuers from more than 85 countries and lists over 35,000 securities.
It plays a significant role in the Irish economy, with a 2014 study by Indecon estimating that the domestic securities industry supported 2,100 jobs and contributed €207 million annually in direct economic impact, including €230 million in direct tax revenue.
While Euronext has not made changes to its main equity trading window, it does already provide extended hours in some market segments.
For example, warrants and certificates can be traded until 10pm Central European Time (CET), and after-hours equity trading is available until 8:30pm CET. CET is two hours ahead of Irish time.
The company added, “Given that there is no consensus among industry participants on buy-side, sell-side and industry associations, Euronext doesn’t see an immediate need to take action to review its overall trading hours.”
Euronext has also been advocating for changes to post-trade infrastructure as part of a wider industry move toward T+1 settlement, where trades settle one day after execution rather than the standard two.
This would bring European markets closer to the direction being taken by the US.
The push for longer trading hours globally is partly driven by increased retail investor activity via mobile platforms like Robinhood, Charles Schwab and Webull, as well as by the 24/7 nature of cryptocurrency markets.
According to Nasdaq’s head of marketplace technology, Magnus Haglind, demand for extended trading is currently concentrated in US markets, but “we see across our global client base that it’s an emerging trend that is likely to spread across other markets.”
However, some market participants have raised concerns about the implications of near-continuous trading.
One risk is that large institutional investors could act on information during extended hours, leaving smaller shareholders exposed to sudden price movements while markets are less liquid and many investors are offline.
Euronext Dublin remains open to adjusting its hours in the future but has made clear that any decision would be client-driven.
