Key facts
- The London Stock Exchange plans to launch a 24-hour trading venue in the first half of 2027.
- The new venue will operate separately from the main market.
- Proposed hours for the night-time venue are 5:00 pm to 7:50 am London time.
- Initially, the venue will focus on exchange-traded products.
- The move is driven by demand from retail traders and competition from other exchanges.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is planning to introduce a dedicated night-time trading venue in the first half of 2027, according to reports from the Financial Times. This new platform will operate independently from the LSE's main market, which will continue its standard trading hours. The proposed hours for the night-time venue are from 5:00 pm to 7:50 am London time, with a brief pause for end-of-day processes. Initially, this venue will focus on offering exchange-traded products, such as funds that track UK or US stock markets. LSE CEO Julia Hoggett indicated that the move is a response to growing demand from retail investors seeking continuous access to both domestic and global assets, particularly given London's timezone. This initiative places the LSE in competition with other global exchanges that are extending their trading hours or offering round-the-clock access, a trend accelerated by the rise of cryptocurrency markets and tokenized equity platforms that operate continuously.