The popularity of online
share trading may force the Australian Stock Exchange to give up its
gentlemen's hours of trading of between 10am and 4pm by opening the
exchange for an evening trading session.
The ASX is understood to be considering a proposal to open trading
between 6pm and 9pm, and an alternative plan for trading of between 8pm
and 10pm on top of the existing daily six-hour trading session.
The proposals come after research has shown that trading volumes pick
up markedly during lunch time, a traditionally quiet time of the trading
day, indicating that small investors are clicking on to their online
brokers during their lunch hour to trade shares.
Brokers said that so far this month online brokers had accounted for 20
per cent of daily ASX turnover, which averages about $1.2 billion a day.
The other alternative to an evening trading session is that the ASX
will extend trading hours to start at 8.30am and finish at 5.30pm.