Charles Schwab has expanded its 24-hour trading capabilities, making overnight trading available to all retail clients via its thinkorswim platform suite.
Charles Schwab Now Offers 24-Hour Trading to All Clients
The move, announced on Wednesday, follows a successful pilot programme at the end of 2024.
All of Schwab’s retail clients are now able to trade an expanded list of securities, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 stocks and hundreds of additional ETFs 24 hours a day, five days a week,
The new overnight session orders (EXTO) expire at 8 pm ET each market day and give retail investors increased flexibility in responding to market-moving events.
Ameritrade, which Schwab acquired in 2020, was the first U.S. retail broker to introduce 24/5 trading in 2018, initially offering a limited selection of ETFs. Schwab has since expanded access to include a broader range of securities.
“Market-moving news doesn’t wait for standard market hours,” said James Kostulias, Managing Director and Head of Trading Services at Schwab. “We know that expanding access to overnight trading to our millions of clients is a significant milestone not just for Schwab but for our industry.”
During the pilot phase, which ran from November 2024 to January 2025, the busiest overnight trading hours were 8-9 pm ET and 3-4 am ET. The firm said the most actively traded stocks included Tesla (TSLA), NVIDIA (NVDA), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
Schwab clients can access the expanded 24/5 trading by selecting the EXTO order type for eligible securities on thinkorswim.
The firm expects the enhanced trading hours to provide investors with greater control and flexibility in managing their portfolios.
