Frankfurt Stock Exchange Shortens Trading Hours On Xetra - Evening Trading On Frankfurt Floor Still Offered For Private Investors

On Tuesday, the General Managers of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FWB Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse) have passed a resolution to shorten the trading hours on the pan-European trading platform Xetra as of November 3. By then, trading will take place from 9.00 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. CET instead of 9.00 a.m. till 8.00 p.m. CET. The shorter trading hours for Xetra will be valid initially for one year. After six months, the decision will be reviewed to determine whether the shorter trading hours should be continued after that time.

The earlier close of trading will take account of the request of many market participants and the large share of foreign Xetra trading participants (over 40 percent of the total), who are in favor of uniform trading hours Europe-wide within the framework of cross-border trading on a growing scale.

Trading on the Frankfurt floor will continue to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CET. Stronger activity by private investors is especially characteristic of the evening floor-trading sessions as compared with the whole trading day. Therefore, trading hours that last into the evening will remain in place as an offer that is available especially for private investors.

FWB, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, had introduced the longer trading hours on Xetra and on the floor in June 2000 at the market participants' request.