The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) of Taiwan has indicated that extending the trading hours of the stock market is not currently a priority and has not set a timeline for such a change. Chairman Peng Jin-lung emphasized the necessity of achieving widespread consensus among the public and industry stakeholders before any decision to extend trading beyond the present schedule of 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. could be made.
This announcement comes amid ongoing discussions by the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), which is evaluating the potential benefits of extending trading hours to 3:30 p.m. The TWSE argues that aligning with international markets could enhance market activity, yet consultations with brokerage firms are still under review to assess the feasibility and impact of such a move.
In parallel with these discussions, the TWSE has introduced changes to its trading procedures. Starting at the end of this year, odd-lot trading will commence at 9:00 a.m., moving up from its previous start time of 9:10 a.m. Additionally, from next year, the order matching interval for odd-lot trades will be shortened from five seconds to one second, a change aimed at boosting trading efficiency and increasing market liquidity.
These adjustments to odd-lot trading procedures reflect the exchange’s ongoing efforts to improve the operational aspects of the market while the broader question of extending trading hours remains under consideration. The TWSE continues to study the implications and gather feedback from its stakeholders to ensure that any future decision will be in the best interest of the market’s overall health and competitiveness.