Moscow Exchange will extend trading hours on its stock market from late September 2025 to unify the start of trading for equities and bond markets, TASS reported on August 6.

The unified trading schedule is designed to improve market accessibility, especially for participants in different Russian regions such as Siberia and the Far East, allowing for a quicker response to global market movements and increasing overlap with international trading hours.

According to a statement on the exchange's website, the morning trading session on the debt market will begin at 06:50 Moscow time instead of 08:50 Moscow time. The practice will unify the start of trading on equity and bond markets and improve convenience for trading participants and their clients.

The exchange also plans to cancel the opening auction on equity and bond markets in the evening session. Evening trading will begin directly with the trading period from 19:00 to 23:50 Moscow time.

Currently, clients can conduct transactions on the equity market in the morning from 06:50 to 09:50 Moscow time, whilst the bond market operates from 08:50 to 09:50 Moscow time.

Evening trading on the stock market runs from 19:00 to 23:50 Moscow time. Investors can trade equities for 17 hours per day and bonds for 15 hours.

This change is part of broader efforts by the Moscow Exchange to modernise and adapt to participant needs, following previous expansions of trading hours on futures, foreign exchange, and derivatives markets in recent years.

The expanded hours open up fresh opportunities for market participants, particularly during sessions lacking meaningful activity. Increased liquidity can translate into tighter bid-ask spreads, making trading more efficient and cost-effective.