Moscow Exchange expands trading session: starting September 14, the start is at 9:00 AM
The Moscow Exchange is preparing a significant update to its trading schedule, which will take effect on September 14, 2026. The main trading session will start an hour earlier — at 9:00 AM instead of the usual 10:00 AM, extending its duration to 10 hours. This decision will affect key market segments: the stock, derivatives, currency, and precious metals markets.
New regulations: details and nuances
According to the updated schedule, the calculation and publication of the exchange's main indices will also begin at 9:00. Currently, trading participants can execute deals for 17 hours a day and 103 hours a week, and the new format will further expand these opportunities.
On the stock and derivatives markets, the morning session will retain its previous framework — from 6:50 to 9:00, with the opening auction taking place in the first ten minutes. The main session will span from 9:00 to 19:00, and for securities not admitted to morning trading, the opening auction will take place from 9:00 to 9:10. The evening session will remain unchanged — from 19:00 to 23:50. The weekend schedule does not change: deals are executed from 9:50 to 19:00, with the first ten minutes allocated to the opening auction.
On the currency and precious metals markets, the main session will start at 8:50 and end at 19:00, with the opening auction running until 9:00. The money market operates on a separate schedule: non-currency modes will be available from 10:00 to 19:00, and the evening session from 19:00 to 23:50.
The most noticeable shift will affect directed repo deals, deposits, and loans — their start will be moved from 9:30 to 8:30, that is, an hour earlier than the current time.
Why the exchange needs an extra hour
The expansion of the schedule is directly linked to investor demands. Chairman of the Board Viktor Zhidkov explained that extending the main session will allow participants to diversify their trading strategies and provide additional liquidity, primarily through institutional investors, for whom it is important to implement their strategies during the main session. In addition, clients from Siberia and the Far East will gain an extra hour to trade at a convenient time for them.
The focus on institutional participants looks logical. Large asset managers typically operate during the main session, where the bulk of orders is concentrated, and the extra hour gives them more room to execute large orders.
Retail activity on the Russian market remains strong: private investors directed 142.9 billion rubles into securities in July, and their share of stock transactions reached 63.3%. The exchange is simultaneously developing its infrastructure and product lineup: recently, the exchange entrusted the verification of software code to neural networks, building a chain of AI agents to search for vulnerabilities.
The range of instruments for betting on foreign assets is also expanding. Since July 27, the exchange has been calculating fixings for 23 foreign securities, including Coinbase and Tesla shares, and plans to issue futures and options linked to them.
My view: This is a timely step that enhances the exchange's attractiveness to global and local players. However, the key success factor will be not so much the extra hour as the exchange's ability to maintain liquidity and technological stability under the new conditions.