Traditional financial markets are moving towards longer trading hours as exchanges and brokers expand access beyond conventional sessions. The shift is raising questions about liquidity, price discovery, execution and risk management during periods of lower participation.

As exchanges and brokers consider longer trading hours, the World Federation of Exchanges has warned that 24/7 trading is “not inevitable nor universally desirable”, arguing that markets should consider shorter extended-hours models before moving to continuous trading.

Vantage Examines Risks Behind 24/7 Trading

CME Group reported that nearly 15,000 one-ounce gold futures contracts, worth about $60 million in notional value, traded during the first weekend of its 24/7 schedule. The London Stock Exchange has also announced LSE 24, a planned 24/5 venue for digital, algorithmic and agentic trading.

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Against this backdrop, Vantage Markets and macroeconomist Fu Peng have examined whether market infrastructure can keep pace with extended trading.

“24/7 trading is infrastructure,” Fu said, adding that financial assets can operate within such a framework once systems support timely clearing and settlement Settlement Settlement in finance refers to the process when a buyer makes payment and receives the agreed-upon services or goods. The term is used on exchanges such as New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) when security changes hands. When the asset is transferred and placed in the new buyer's name, it is considered settled. This process could take a few hours or several days after a trade is made. It depends on the clearance process. In the United States, the settlement date for marketable stocks is usually 2 Settlement in finance refers to the process when a buyer makes payment and receives the agreed-upon services or goods. The term is used on exchanges such as New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) when security changes hands. When the asset is transferred and placed in the new buyer's name, it is considered settled. This process could take a few hours or several days after a trade is made. It depends on the clearance process. In the United States, the settlement date for marketable stocks is usually 2 Read this Term.

Crypto markets were early adopters of continuous trading. Fu said advances in computing, blockchain infrastructure and post-trade systems could allow the model to expand to assets such as gold, equities, commodities and foreign exchange.

Liquidity remains another concern. Finance Magnates has reported that extended-hours trading can lead to wider spreads and fewer available quotes when activity is low, creating additional execution risks for traders.

Vantage itself joined the shift in July with XAUUSD247, a gold CFD available seven days a week, including weekends. The one-ounce product is subject to scheduled maintenance and regional availability, with spreads, financing charges and leverage varying according to trading conditions.

Always-On Markets Raise Pricing and Execution Questions

Longer trading hours do not automatically remove market risks. Weekend trading may reduce some price discontinuities by allowing markets to respond closer to the timing of events. However, thin participation can still lead to sharp price moves and limited execution.

Vantage also offers OPENAIUSD and ANTHUSD CFDs, which use private-market valuation data for OpenAI and Anthropic. These products highlight the importance of reliable reference pricing, disclosure, liquidity Liquidity The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash.The most liquid asset of all is cash itself.· In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash.The most liquid asset of all is cash itself.· In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent Read this Term and risk controls where conventional public-market access is unavailable.

“Opportunity is also risk, and risk is also opportunity; the two move together,” Fu concluded.