Cboe Global Markets has formally asked the Securities and Exchange Commission for permission to introduce extended trading sessions on its EDGX equities exchange, paving the way for nearly continuous U.S. stock trading five days a week. The Chicago-based operator, known for its innovation in derivatives, filed the request on March 16, 2026, with plans to roll out the service as early as December 2026 if regulators approve and supporting market systems are prepared.
Under the proposed framework, investors would gain access to every listed National Market System security on EDGX from 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday through 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.
A short daily maintenance window would close the market from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, creating what amounts to round-the-clock availability outside of U.S. holidays.
All resulting transactions would settle through the established Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation infrastructure, maintaining standard clearing processes.
The move reflects Cboe’s response to mounting worldwide appetite for flexible access to American equities.
Oliver Sung, who leads North American equities at the company, described the filing as a key milestone that aligns Cboe with an anticipated industry-wide launch later this year.
He pointed to productive conversations with clients and participants around the globe, noting that such collaboration has proven essential.
Sung emphasized Cboe’s proven ability to run highly liquid, continuous markets in equity derivatives and foreign exchange, which will underpin strong safeguards for both market stability and investor protection in the new equity sessions.
Interest in trading U.S. shares outside conventional hours has accelerated noticeably.
Cboe already provides early-morning access from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET on two of its exchanges, including EDGX, and reported a dramatic 590 percent rise in average daily volume during that window between February 2022 and February 2026.
The company has also maintained successful around-the-clock operations in its proprietary index futures and options, where activity during global trading hours has reached new highs in 2026 as participants hedge or adjust positions amid overnight news events.
Its foreign-exchange platform similarly delivers true 24-hour, five-day trading supported by seamless global operations and client service across time zones.
Beyond regulatory clearance and technical readiness, two additional factors stand out as critical: broader market connectivity and dependable real-time information.
Cboe continues to widen distribution of its consolidated Cboe One U.S. Equities Feed, which aggregates live data from all four of its domestic equity venues.
Those venues together captured 20.2 percent of total on-exchange U.S. equity volume in 2025.
Brian McElligott, head of Cboe Data Vantage, underscored the foundational role of accurate market data in enabling sound investment choices.
He highlighted growing demand from European and Asia-Pacific investors and the company’s efforts to deliver real-time, top-of-book, and historical datasets that will help market participants prepare for extended equity hours.
If approved, the initiative would mark another expansion of Cboe’s trading ecosystem, building on its long history of pioneering products since launching the first listed options exchange in 1973.
The proposal underscores a broader industry shift toward greater accessibility for global participants seeking to engage with U.S. equities whenever opportunities arise. While the filing advances Cboe’s preparations, final implementation remains subject to SEC review and coordinated infrastructure upgrades across the marketplace.