Fintech Firm Launches First Pre-Market US Options
Longbridge Securities has launched what it claims is the world's first pre-market U.S. options trading capability. The new feature is designed to help global investors react to overnight news and overcome time zone barriers before the official market open.
Singapore-based Longbridge Securities, founded in March 2019, is a fintech brokerage regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The company has secured over $150 million in funding and is expanding its global presence with a focus on integrating AI-driven tools for retail investors. The new pre-market U.S. options trading service is available from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. This is a significant extension, as standard U.S. equity options have traditionally been limited to regular market hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. While some index options offer extended-hours trading, a broad pre-market session for individual stocks and ETFs has not been a standard feature for retail investors. This offering is designed to allow investors, particularly those in different time zones like Asia, to react to overnight news and global events before the U.S. market officially opens. Market-moving news, such as corporate earnings announcements, geopolitical events, or major economic data releases from other countries, frequently occurs outside of standard U.S. trading hours. For its launch, Longbridge is offering zero commission and no platform fees for this pre-market options trading. The initial rollout of the service includes highly liquid stocks and ETFs such as QQQ, SPY, AAPL, TSLA, NVDA, and AMZN, with plans for further expansion. The move is part of a broader trend of brokerages offering extended and 24-hour trading on certain securities to meet global demand. Longbridge itself has been focused on technological innovation, having previously launched an AI-powered financial assistant to provide retail investors with institutional-grade research and analysis. The firm also supports 24-hour trading for U.S. stocks and fractional share trading. This new feature challenges the traditional structure where pre-market trading has been largely the domain of institutional and professional participants. By opening this window to retail investors for options, Longbridge aims to provide greater flexibility and more timely risk management and trading opportunities.
