Chicago-based Bruce Markets LLC, operator of the overnight trading venue Bruce ATS, announced on September 29, 2026, that it will extend U.S. equity trading to weekends, subject to SEC approval. The move would create the first continuous 24/7 stock market in the United States, a structural shift that could alter how financial advisors manage client portfolios and respond to weekend news.
The initiative is backed by new strategic investments from PEAK6 Investments, which becomes the majority shareholder, and Robinhood Markets. Existing backers, including Apex Fintech Solutions, Fidelity Investments, Nasdaq Ventures, NH Investment & Securities, tastytrade, and Webull, remain invested. Bruce Markets will use Nasdaq's trading technology for the expanded sessions, while Apex Clearing Corporation, a subsidiary of Apex Fintech Solutions, will handle clearing, carrying, and custody services.
The announcement is the latest step in a broader industry push to move beyond the traditional Monday-to-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET session. Cboe Global Markets filed a proposal with the SEC in March 2026 to introduce near-continuous trading on its EDGX exchange, targeting a December 2026 launch. The SEC approved Nasdaq's 23/5 proposal on April 10, 2026, and NYSE Arca received accelerated approval in February 2025 to extend trading to 22 hours a day, five days a week. Clearing infrastructure has also evolved: the DTCC's National Securities Clearing Corporation targeted June 2026 to operate on a 24×5 basis, from Sunday at 8 p.m. ET through Friday at 8 p.m. ET, a prerequisite for major exchanges to process overnight trades with standard settlement guarantees.
Bruce Markets' plan goes further, filling the weekend gap that no U.S. venue has previously addressed. The SEC has taken notice, hosting a roundtable on September 17, 2026, to examine the move toward 24-hour equity markets. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins stated in July that expanding trading hours was a priority.
For advisors, the implications are significant. Clients who currently read Sunday news about geopolitical events, earnings updates, or macroeconomic data and wait until Monday's open to act may soon be able to trade in real time. This shift will require advisors to rethink weekend communication protocols, order management, and risk oversight. Jason Wallach, CEO of Bruce Markets, said, "Market-moving news does not wait for Monday's open, and soon, neither will investors."
However, the push toward 24/7 trading has its critics. A Crisil Coalition Greenwich study published in March 2026 found that only 14% of institutional equity traders support around-the-clock trading, while 60% reported no interest in trading outside traditional hours. Traders warned that extended hours could fragment liquidity, hurt execution quality, and create operational and human-capital challenges. Extended-hours sessions, including Bruce ATS's existing overnight window from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. ET, typically see wider bid-ask spreads and thinner liquidity than regular sessions. Weekend trading is likely to be similar, at least initially, meaning retail investors on platforms like Robinhood may execute trades at less favorable prices.
Steve Quirk, chief brokerage officer at Robinhood Markets, defended the expansion: "Market-moving news can break at any moment, including over the weekend. With 24/7 trading, Robinhood customers will soon be able to trade equities around the clock, seven days a week." Jenny Just, co-founder and managing partner at PEAK6 Investments, added, "The world doesn't take weekends off, and now neither will the markets. This is the end of the five-day market."
Regulatory approval remains the key variable. The SEC and FINRA will need to assess how weekend trading intersects with surveillance, settlement, and investor protection frameworks. Advisors should monitor the regulatory timeline and begin preparing client communications now, as the first weekend trading session could arrive sooner than many expect. For more on market structure trends, see family offices boosting public equity and Robinhood's IPO underwriting role.
