Look at what you’ve done.
Today, the NYSE announced a plan to allow trading on its Arca electronic exchange 22 hours a day—from 1:30 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays—subject to regulatory approval. Right now, after-hours trading extends from 4 am to 8 pm.
The move to make equity trading available at all times has gained momentum since the pandemic, when retail investors had nothing better to do but trade stocks and get used to the 24/7 pace of crypto markets. Since then, platforms like Robinhood and Interactive Brokers have made buying and selling stocks available 24 hours during the weekdays.
If approved, investors could trade stocks and exchange-traded funds all day, and now almost all night—a dream come true for Wall Street analysts constantly looking for new excuses to avoid spending time with their kids.
“The NYSE’s initiative to extend U.S. equity trading to 22 hours a day, 5 days a week underscores the strength of our U.S. capital markets and growing demand for our listed securities around the world,” said Head of Markets at the New York Stock Exchange Kevin Tyrrell in a statement.
Our question: Whatever happened to letting absence make the heart grow fonder?
Writer and analyst Howard Lindzon makes a good point: A culture of constant trading and increasing investor degeneracy isn’t actually good for your portfolio long-term.
And even worse, if this trend continues, we at Brew Markets are going to have to put out another edition in the dead of night just to keep you updated.
Look, this isn’t investment advice, but life advice: If the current after-hours trading window of 4 am to 8 pm isn’t enough for you, it’s time to touch grass.—LB
Making sense of market moves
Stay up to date on the latest market news with daily analysis of the investing landscape, served up Brew-style.