KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore Exchange's (SGX) securities market will trade continuously all day from August 1 this year, according to a statement on the exchange's website on June 30.

With the change, trading will be non-stop between 9am and 5pm Singapore time, and would enable investors trading pan-Asian securities to respond to regional market movements and news flow, SGX said.

SGX chief executive officer Magnus Bocker said continuous all-day trading would offer all investors more opportunities to trade and manage their risks.

'By embracing trading hours which are aligned with those of other key markets, Singapore will make further progress as an international financial hub,' he said.

In Asia, Korea Exchange, India's National Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange already trade non-stop all day.

Other international exchanges such as New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and London Stock Exchange also operate continuous trading sessions.

More recently, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing has increased its trading hours while Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to do so in the near future.

Both have cited the need to strengthen competitiveness and enhance convenience for investors.

The SGX said that once trading was continuous all day, SGX Member firms will offer retail investors various ways to execute orders.

These include online trading services, the use of central dealing desks where orders can be channelled for order execution when Trading Representatives or brokers are away, the appointment of a back-up Trading Representative, and the use of mobile TECHNOLOGY [] by Trading Representatives to execute orders when they are off-premises, it said.