Longbridge Launches Pre-Market US Options Trading

While Cboe Global Markets has long offered extended hours for index options like the S&P 500 (SPX) and VIX, Longbridge's product is notable for targeting options on individual stocks and ETFs. The initial launch includes some of the most heavily traded U.S. equities, such as Tesla, NVIDIA, Apple, and the SPY and QQQ ETFs, a move designed to ensure a baseline of liquidity. The new pre-market session runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. This window is particularly advantageous for investors in Asia, as it translates to more accessible evening hours (e.g., 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in Singapore), allowing them to react to overnight news without waiting for the U.S. market to open. This initiative is part of a broader trend by fintech brokerages to democratize access to tools historically reserved for institutional investors. By tackling single-stock options, Longbridge is addressing a segment of the market where pre-market trading has been largely unavailable to retail participants due to significant liquidity challenges and the complex role of market makers outside of standard hours. However, traders utilizing these extended hours face inherent risks, including lower liquidity, higher volatility, and wider bid-ask spreads. The reduced number of participants can lead to more significant price swings and potentially less favorable execution prices compared to the high-volume environment of the regular 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET session. Founded in 2019, Longbridge is a Singapore-based fintech brokerage that has expanded rapidly in Asia, particularly in Hong Kong and Singapore. The firm has raised over $150 million and pursues a "Securities + Technology" model, often using zero-commission offers to attract a global user base and grow its market share against established players.