The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is planning to introduce night-time share trading starting in the first half of 2027, according to an announcement made on Wednesday. The new platform, known as LSE 24, aims to provide round-the-clock trading opportunities outside the traditional market hours, operating independently from the main exchange.
LSE 24 will function from 5 p.m. to 7:50 a.m. London time, Monday through Friday, with a 30-minute break between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. for end-of-day processing and system reset. The trading venue will initially focus on Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), such as funds that track UK and US stock markets, with plans to expand into equities in the future.
Built on the London Stock Exchange Group’s established financial market infrastructure, the platform is designed to preserve the integrity and resilience of regular trading hours while creating new opportunities for market participation during extended hours. The move reflects an effort to compete with 24-hour digital trading platforms, including cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken, which have attracted users seeking nonstop access to asset trading.
The introduction of LSE 24 is intended to offer global investors enhanced flexibility to respond to market developments in different time zones, access liquidity consistently, and improve risk management capabilities. Testing for the platform is set to begin by the end of this year, with trading for ETPs expected to commence in early 2027, pending regulatory approval.
The new market will utilize a hybrid trading system combining central limit order book mechanisms—commonly employed by exchanges—with request-for-quote features, which allow buyers to solicit price proposals from sellers. This approach is expected to accommodate a variety of trading strategies and participant needs, with a longer-term vision of expanding into a broader range of equity products.
Dame Julia Hoggett, chief executive of LSE plc and head of Digital and Securities Markets at London Stock Exchange Group, described the initiative as a significant development in the evolution of London’s financial markets, highlighting the increased flexibility it will provide investors beyond traditional trading hours. With London recognized as a key global hub for ETP trading, the launch of LSE 24 seeks to reinforce the city’s competitive position in the rapidly changing landscape of global financial markets.