The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) of Taiwan has indicated that extending the hours of stock market trading is not currently on their list of priorities, and there is no set timeline for when such a change might occur. According to FSC Chairman Peng Jin-lung, any move to expand trading beyond the established hours of 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. would necessitate a wide-reaching consensus among the public and industry stakeholders before any actions could be taken.
In parallel discussions, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) is exploring the idea of extending trading hours to 3:30 p.m. This consideration aims to align Taiwan’s market more closely with international counterparts, potentially boosting overall market activity. However, the exchange is still in the consultation phase, engaging with brokerage firms to evaluate the feasibility of such a change.
Despite the ongoing deliberations about trading hours, the TWSE is moving forward with immediate adjustments to improve trading efficiency. Starting later this year, odd-lot trading is scheduled to commence at 9:00 a.m., shifting from its current start time of 9:10 a.m. Moreover, an enhancement in the order matching process for odd-lot trades is on the agenda, with plans to reduce the matching interval from five seconds to just one second beginning next year. These steps are intended to bolster market liquidity and streamline trading operations.
While the prospect of extended trading hours remains uncertain, these incremental changes reflect TWSE’s commitment to enhancing the trading environment. The initiatives to adjust odd-lot trading times and improve order matching intervals demonstrate a proactive approach to refining market mechanisms, even as broader discussions about trading hour extensions continue to unfold.