Share-trading hours may be extended into late evenings

The Taiwan Stock Exchange is planning to launch a late after-hours stock trading session that would last from 6pm to 11pm, Monday through Friday, local Chinese-language media reported yesterday.

The proposal also suggests extending current after-hours trading, which is now between 2pm to 2:30pm, the report said.

Chu Jaw-chyuan (朱兆銓), chairman of Securities and Futures Commission (證期會), said that the proposal is under study. He told lawmakers that there is no timetable for implementing any changes in the trading system. In addition, any changes to trading hours should first be discussed by the stock exchange and the securities industry.

"We may decide to exclusively use the Internet for after-hours trading," Chu said.