Japan's Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has postponed the extension of its trading hours, scheduled for 9 May 2011, following power supply disruption caused by the earthquake of 11 March.
With the supply situation expected to worsen over the summer months the decision was made to postpone the extension until Autumn 2011.
Increasing the number of trading hours at the TSE is intended to grow volumes. The TSE plans to shorten its 90-minute lunch break to one hour – 11.30-12.30 – a measure that TSE president Atsushi Saito previously predicted would increase trading by around 6%.
The planned move is also in line with other exchanges in the region; Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) is planning to lengthen its own opening hours, cutting its two-hour lunch break first to 90 minutes and then one hour.
Meanwhile the Singapore Exchange (SGX) is considering the introduction of continuous all-day trading on its securities market, eliminating the lunch break completely – although the move has been postponed from its original date of 1 March to Q2 of this year.