Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX) is studying plans to eliminate the traditional midday lunch break in equity trading and to extend trading hours to better align with global markets, including the US, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 3, 4].
Currently, the regular equity trading hours run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. [5, 6]. One of the main proposals under consideration would move the market open to 9:00 a.m., thus starting trading 30 minutes earlier than at present [1, 2, 3, 7]. HKEX is also looking at an after-hours or evening trading session from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, catering primarily to a select group of larger stocks, such as those with American Depository Receipts (ADRs) and heavily traded firms [1, 2, 4]. The regular trading session would still close at 4:00 p.m. to allow for clearing and settlement [1, 2, 3].
Hong Kong is one of the few major exchanges worldwide that maintains a midday lunch break, a practice shared mainly with China and Tokyo [1, 2]. Around 23% of Hong Kong’s equity turnover in 2025 came through southbound Stock Connect, allowing mainland Chinese investors to trade Hong Kong stocks [1, 2, 4]. HKEX's efforts aim to improve Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international financial center. A spokesperson said, "HKEX is committed to continuously enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international financial centre and is reviewing opportunities to bolster market accessibility, including trading hours" [1].
However, the plans remain in an early exploratory stage, with HKEX currently prioritizing extending trading hours for derivatives before finalizing equity market changes [3, 5, 8]. The exchange intends to seek market consultation and regulatory approval before implementing any long-term changes. An anonymous HKEX source said, "HKEX is in an early discussion to explore the idea of extending the trading hours and it would consult the market before making any changes on a long-term basis" [5].
Some market participants have expressed skepticism about the benefits of longer trading hours. David Wong, Permanent Honorary Chairman at the Hong Kong Securities & Futures Professionals Association, said, "The manpower and resource involved to change is simply too much to justify the outcome" [9]. Li Huifen, director at Huaying Dongfang Securities, noted, "The trading volume during the lunch session is generally low; unless there are major market fluctuations, the benefits of extending trading hours are limited" [6]. Longer hours may also favor larger brokers with bigger staff over smaller firms that use the lunch break for reconciliation and client meetings [10, 9].
In 2012, an attempt to shorten the lunch break from two hours to one hour met with protests from about 1,000 stockbrokers and restaurant workers, highlighting the sensitivity of changes to trading hours [1, 9].
There is some disagreement on whether removing the lunch break is an active consideration. Several sources emphasize that scrapping the lunch break is a central proposal, while at least one source maintains that extending afternoon trading close times, rather than eliminating lunch, is the current focus [1, 2, 3, 5].
Reports of HKEX’s consideration emerged in late July 2026. On July 20, it was reported that HKEX was exploring earlier starts, no lunch breaks, and evening sessions [1, 2, 3, 8]. The next day, HKEX confirmed the discussion was preliminary, with derivatives trading hours as a priority [3, 11, 8]. Local brokers voiced concerns over the benefits by July 22 [10, 9, 7].
HKEX is expected to continue consultations with market participants and regulators to refine proposals for extending trading hours and potentially removing the lunch break.
