Singapore Exchange, Asia's second-biggest listed bourse, will now start full-day continuous trading in the third quarter, delaying the move for the second time this year, the Straits Times reported on Saturday. The newspaper, which quoted unnamed sources, said the implementation of the move will now take place next month or in early August and SGX will likely make an announcement next week.
Initially, the SGX had said that the 90-minute midday trading break would be scrapped on March 1, but in February it said the change would be instead implemented in the second quarter. The midday break is being eliminated to let trading hours in Singapore overlap more with those of key centres like Tokyo, China and India. The Straits Times said SGX is pushing back the deadline so it can ensure that investors are prepared for a change that will significantly impact the way stockbroking is done. SGX was not immediately available to comment.