Cboe expands equity options hours
- Cboe said it plans to extend hours on its C1 options exchange for select U.S. equity options, with a July 13, 2026 launch pending approval. - The proposal would add a 7:30 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. session and a 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. curb session. - The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved it yet and set May 31, 2026, as its deadline. (federalregister.gov)
Cboe plans to let investors trade some stock options before the opening bell and for 15 minutes after the close on its C1 options exchange. (tradersmagazine.com) (cboe.com) The exchange said the change would start July 13, 2026, if regulators approve it. The new windows would run from 7:30 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. Eastern Time and from 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Eastern. (tradersmagazine.com) (cboe.com) Cboe is limiting the plan to designated multi-listed equity options, not the whole market. Under its published criteria, an option class would need average daily volume of at least 150,000 contracts, an underlying company worth at least $50 billion, and average daily stock volume of at least 10 million shares. (cboe.com) The exchange said it could designate as many as 100 option classes for the new sessions. That would create a short list of the most active names rather than a full extended-hours tape. (cboe.com) For options, longer hours mean more time to react to earnings, overseas markets, and late-breaking headlines without waiting for the 9:30 a.m. cash open. Cboe already runs overnight-style Global Trading Hours for index products including S&P 500 and VIX options. (cboe.com 1) (cboe.com 2) The proposal is still in front of the Securities and Exchange Commission. On March 23, 2026, the agency extended its review and said it must approve or disapprove the filing by May 31, 2026. (federalregister.gov) (sec.gov) Cboe revised the filing on April 2, 2026 and changed the 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. period from an after-market Global Trading Hours session to a curb session. In an April 15 response letter, Cboe said that label lets firms choose whether orders are eligible for regular hours only, regular plus curb, or all sessions. (sec.gov 1) (sec.gov 2) Other exchanges are watching because the change would lean on shared market plumbing. Nasdaq said in a comment letter that it supports extended-hours options trading, but asked the commission to consider whether the Options Price Reporting Authority system, the Securities Industry Automation Corporation, and the Options Clearing Corporation are ready for it across the industry. (sec.gov) If the commission signs off, Cboe would be taking the first step toward a longer U.S. options day without going all the way to round-the-clock trading. For now, the key date is May 31. (federalregister.gov)
