Israel Stock Exchange Explores Evening Trading Hours to Boost Global Integration

The Israel Securities Authority and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) are forming joint working groups to explore extending trading hours into the evening, aiming to enhance the Israeli capital market's global standing by 2027. This initiative is part of a broader effort to connect the local market more closely with leading international financial centers.

The working group, comprising experts from the Securities Authority, TASE, and other market stakeholders, will examine the feasibility of implementing 'After Hours' trading between 5:30 PM and 11:00 PM. Initially, this would cover stocks, bonds, dual-listed shares, and exchange-traded funds tracking international indices. The goal is to allow investors to react to market-moving events that occur after regular trading closes in Israel, such as company announcements, macroeconomic data releases, and trading activity in major global markets, particularly the US.

Extending trading hours is expected to enable institutional and private investors to respond more swiftly to global market developments, reducing the need to wait for the next trading day. This could also increase liquidity in traded securities and strengthen the link between the Israeli and international markets, aligning the TASE with standards set by major global exchanges.

These proposed changes follow previous steps taken by the TASE and the Securities Authority to modernize the Israeli capital market, including adjusting trading days to align with international norms (Sunday to Friday), expanding the option for English-language disclosures, and implementing measures to boost liquidity and competition.

Itay Ben-Ze'ev, CEO of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, stated that these efforts aim to increase foreign investment in Israel and deepen the local market's connection to global markets. He believes extending trading hours will increase overlap with international markets and support continued growth in foreign investment, building on the trend observed after the change in trading days. Sפי זינגר, Chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, added that the move is part of a wider process to connect the Israeli market to global leaders, enabling investors to react more efficiently to international developments.