US stock after-hours trading heats up in Asia, reflecting the demand for instant response to macro news

Jinshi data news on March 13th, platform data shows that Asian investors significantly increased trading activities outside the normal trading hours of US stocks last year. Blue Ocean, a platform for after-hours trading, said that its after-hours volume doubled in 2024. About 80% of the company's revenue comes from Asian customers. The surge in after-hours trading by Asian investors to some extent reflects their demand for immediate reflection of macro news. Market participants believe that Trump's round-the-clock social media habits also contribute to people turning to after-hours trading. After-hours trading is becoming increasingly popular among retail investors and institutional investors in Asia. Liquidity provider Flow Traders said that since 2021, Asian institutional investors' Inquiry volume for US stock ETFs has almost doubled. Rijlaarsdam, CEO of Flow Traders Asia, said, "Investors are forming a round-the-clock trading mindset, with significant rise in demand for immediate trading, whether it's Trump tweeting or NVIDIA announcing financial results." Non-peak trading also has drawbacks, with night volume still very small compared to regular trading hours, much lower Liquidity, leading to widening bid-ask spreads.