The Stock Market Moves to 24/7 Trading
The traditional stock market, long defined by its 9:30 AM to 4 PM schedule with iconic opening and closing bells dating back to the 1870s, is quickly becoming outdated. The rise of cryptocurrency and prediction markets, which operate around the clock, is pushing Wall Street to adopt a similar continual trading model.
Market Structure Transformation
This shift to near 24-hour trading marks the most significant evolution in market structure since electronic trading replaced the physical trading floor. Exchanges such as the NYSE and Nasdaq are extending their hours, aiming for 22 and 24-hour trading sessions, with some platforms planning launches before the end of the year.
Retail Investors Driving Change
The trend is fueled heavily by retail investors, who now make up at least 20% of the daily U.S. trading volume. Their demand for continuous access aligns with a global interest in the huge market for American equities.
"The stock market's genteel 9:30-to-4 workday, complete with opening and closing bells that date back to the 1870s, is becoming as anachronistic as the headsets still worn on the New York Stock Exchange floor."
"The shift — driven by surging retail investor participation that now accounts for at least 20% of daily U.S. trading volume and a global appetite for the trillions of American equities — represents the most fundamental change to market structure since electronic trading replaced the trading floor."
Author’s summary: The move to round-the-clock stock trading reflects a historic market evolution powered by retail investors and modern demands, reshaping traditional trading hours to fit a nonstop global economy.