New York Stock Exchange is extending its trading hours to meet growing demand in the Robinhood era

In a game-changing move, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced Friday it will be extending after-hours trading on its Arca electronic exchange.

The changes, which are subject to regulatory approval, would extend Arca electronic exchange hours from 1:30 a.m. ET to 11:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or 22 hours a day, 5 days a week.

“The NYSE’s initiative to extend U.S. equity trading . . . underscores the strength of our U.S. capital markets and growing demand for our listed securities around the world,” said Kevin Tyrrell, head of markets for the NYSE, in a statement. “As the steward of the U.S. capital markets, the NYSE is pleased to lead the way in enabling exchange-based trading for our U.S.-listed companies and funds to investors in time zones across the globe.”

The NYSE said it plans to file the updated rules with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and confirmed that trading during the extended hours will continue to be cleared by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation.

All 8,000 securities listed on the U.S. stock exchange, which include some of the world’s most iconic blue chip companies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and closed-end funds, will be available for trading during the extended hours.

The NYSE already has extended trading hours starting at 4 a.m. ET until 8 p.m. ET on weekdays. Normal trading hours are 9:30 a.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET. Trading is closed on weekends.

How will the NYSE’s new hours affect traders?

The news comes amid competition from alternative mobile trading platforms like Robinhood, which have been credited with bringing change to the industry by making trading of certain stocks and ETFs accessible by app 24 hours a day, five days a week. (Robinhood 24 Hour Market is available from Sunday 8 p.m. ET through Friday 8 p.m. ET.) Cryptocurrency markets are always open and trade 24 hours a day, even on weekends.

The changes will make trading on the NYSE more accessible as the extended hours offer more flexibility to traders in different time zones.

Additionally, it may mean financial firms must beef up their trading desks hours on both sides of the day, in the early mornings and evenings.

It could also affect how earnings are handled. Currently, many companies announce quarterly earnings after normal trading hours, lessening the effect on their stock prices. But with these changes, a stock price could move within a greater range during extended hours, and traders could capitalize on these opportunities.

The changes also have the potential to affect how journalists cover the markets, with companies announcing news later on weekdays.