Lightspeed and Interactive Brokers Start 24-Hour U.S. Stock Trading

Lightspeed Financial Services Group LLC has just announced a major step forward for investors: the introduction of 24-hour trading for U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on its Lightspeed Trader platform. This exciting new service means clients can now trade almost around the clock, from Sunday at 8:00 PM ET right through to Friday at 8:00 PM ET. The only breaks will be for U.S. market holidays and certain partial trading days. This move puts Lightspeed at the forefront of a big change happening in the financial world, meeting the growing needs of today's traders.

This decision by Lightspeed fits perfectly with a wider trend in the industry towards continuous trading. Key figures in finance, like Thomas Peterffy, Chairman of Interactive Brokers, have been talking about this shift. At a recent Piper Sandler conference, Peterffy pointed out that 24-hour trading is gaining more and more support, especially in places like Asia and the Middle East. He shared that overnight trading made up a small but notable 2.2% of Interactive Brokers' trading volume in May, and he believes this could jump to a huge 30% over the next two decades. Peterffy sees this change as something that can't be stopped, driven by a global demand for trading and new habits among both everyday investors and large financial institutions.

Lightspeed's choice to offer 24-hour trading is a significant update to how it serves its customers. Before this, the company offered regular and extended trading hours. Now, with full weekday, round-the-clock access, Lightspeed is directly responding to the strong desire from active traders who need to react quickly to global news and market changes, no matter what time it is. Tom Gibb, President and COO of Lightspeed, highlighted the keen interest they've seen in trading sessions before and after standard market hours. “Now, with full 24-hour trading of U.S. securities, our clients can act immediately on news and developments—wherever they are and whenever they choose to trade. This is one of several major upgrades to our Lightspeed Trader platform well be rolling out in the months ahead,” Gibb explained.

This expansion is part of Lightspeed's ongoing effort to improve its platform and give active and professional traders better tools and easier access. While Lightspeed and Interactive Brokers are actively embracing 24-hour trading, not everyone in the industry agrees. Some firms, like Citadel Securities, have brought up concerns about the rules and technical challenges that come with continuous trading. They've shared these worries in documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Despite these concerns, the push towards continuous trading seems to be getting stronger, mainly because of the clear benefits it offers to a trading community that's connected all over the world.

The introduction of 24-hour trading by Lightspeed is expected to greatly change how active traders' market updates are received and acted upon. Being able to trade U.S. stocks and ETFs at any time means traders are no longer limited by different time zones or traditional market hours. This creates a more lively and responsive trading environment, allowing people to take advantage of opportunities as soon as they appear, whether it's a company's earnings report late at night in the U.S. or an important economic announcement early in the morning from another country. The constant nature of trading also means that prices can be set more accurately and quickly, reflecting real-time global events.

For active traders, this development offers unmatched flexibility and control. The Lightspeed Trader platform, already known for being strong and fast, now provides an even more powerful tool for those who need trades to happen instantly and want constant access to the market.

Adding 24-hour trading directly addresses the needs of many different clients, from individual investors managing their money outside of work hours to professional traders looking to profit from every market shift. As the financial world keeps changing, the move towards 24-hour trading shows how connected global markets are becoming and how much people want things to be efficient and easy to access in finance.

Ready to experience the future of trading? Learn more about Lightspeed Financial Services Group and their innovative offerings by visiting their broker's page: https://www.wikifx.com/en/dealer/0001646186.html