The Tokyo Stock Exchange is planning on extending its regular trading hours by an extra 30 minutes giving investors more time to deal with issues, such as a system failure, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.
The first extension of closing hours since 1954 is expected to take place in three years and will see the market close at 3:30 p.m. rather than the current 3 p.m., according to the source.
The envisaged move would come almost a year after the world's third-largest bourse experienced a day-long stoppage on Oct. 1, which also suspended all trading of equities listed on stock exchanges in Sapporo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.
The Tokyo bourse currently operates for five hours a day from 9 a.m., shorter than its international counterparts, including New York, which runs for six and a half hours.
In May, the Tokyo Stock Exchange said it would create a panel to discuss a potential extension to its trading day.
