Since this is a global economy why not have a day and night shift and leave a 4 hour period closed. Keep the markets open tue-saturday. so weekenders who have full time jobs can trade on a saturday and regular weeknights.
if you include pre and afterhours trading on the ecn's they are basically open 12 hours already... whats your point what do you want to accomplish?
I agree. Make it like the futures. Options too. News comes out and you are holding options premarket watching the stock rise/fall not being able to do anything.
Uh, let's see...you guys want firms to pay several thousand people to work at the exchanges, making markets around the clock (which costs $millions per day) just so a few schmucks can trade when they're not at their day job? The exchanges would definetely lose money unless foreign traders all decided to do business here. Besides, there are already places for off-duty money-losing activities, they're called 'Vegas/Atlantic City.
some markets like globex are already opened most of the day. you'll find the liquidity sucks afterhours. even if you build it, they won't necessarily come.
now THAT would be fun ya, the market isn't there for you part-timers though it would be nice if normal market hours were 9-5