Robinhood to allow 24-hour weekend trading of US stocks as industry shifts to wider access

Robinhood announced on Tuesday that it will enable 24-hour weekend stock trading for US stocks, signaling a broader industry trend toward wider access and flexibility. This move is part of Robinhood's efforts to become the preferred platform for active traders by providing tools traditionally reserved for major trading firms. Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood's vice president of product management, explained the company's focus in an interview with Reuters.

Previously, Robinhood offered round-the-clock trading on weekdays since 2023, accounting for up to 25% of the total trading volume on busy days from outside traditional hours. This marks the first instance of weekend trading for the brokerage. While some express concerns about liquidity during non-traditional hours, global exchanges like Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange are also pushing for extended trading hours.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins highlighted the need for real-time reaction to breaking news, suggesting that waiting until 9:30 AM on Mondays may result in missed opportunities or additional risk.

Initially, Robinhood will offer a select list of stocks and exchange-traded funds for weekend trading in partnership with Bruce ATS, an overnight trading infrastructure firm. The feature requires regulatory approval before launch. Additionally, Robinhood will allow traders to wager on specific corporate earnings metrics through a collaboration with Cboe's derivatives exchange.

The prediction markets hub enables users to bet on whether a company will surpass earnings estimates or achieve a target revenue figure. This feature follows the rise of platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi, which cater to traders seeking to bet on earnings outcomes beyond stock price predictions.

Furthermore, Robinhood will enable US customers to trade perpetual futures without expiration dates and build AI agents within the app to execute trades automatically. The company's social platform, reminiscent of the popular WallStreetBets community on Reddit, will be made available to all eligible US customers post-beta launch earlier this year.