Robinhood to add round-the-clock weekend trading of US stocks, earnings bets and perpetual futures

Robinhood said on Tuesday that it will let users trade a selection of US stocks round the clock during weekends, the online brokerage's latest move to keep pace with an industry that is shifting toward 24-hour market access. Reuters reported the plan.

A first for weekend trading

Robinhood has offered round-the-clock trading on weekdays since 2023. About 10 months after that launch, the company said as much as 25% of its total daily trading volume on busy days came from outside traditional market hours. The weekend service is a first for the firm.

The feature is being introduced in partnership with Bruce ATS, a provider of overnight trading infrastructure, and starts with a curated list of stocks and exchange-traded funds. It is pending regulatory review.

"Our focus this year is making Robinhood the best place for active traders by giving them the tools that are typically reserved for hedge funds, quants and a lot of big active trading firms," Abhishek Fatehpuria, vice president of product management, told Reuters in an interview.

Concerns over thin liquidity

Some market participants worry that thin liquidity during non-traditional hours could leave traders without optimal prices. Even so, global exchanges including the Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange are pressing ahead with plans to extend their trading hours.

"When the world reacts in real time to breaking news, waiting to adjust a position or rebalance a hedge until the clock strikes 9:30 on Monday morning may beget missed opportunities or additional risk, especially these days," SEC Chair Paul Atkins said at a roundtable earlier this month.

Earnings bets and perpetual futures

Robinhood will also let traders wager on specific corporate earnings metrics through a partnership with the derivatives exchange Cboe. Inside its prediction markets hub, users can bet on whether a company beats earnings estimates or reaches a targeted revenue figure. Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have been building similar wagers for traders who want to bet on earnings outcomes beyond share-price moves.

The company added that eligible US customers will be able to trade perpetual futures through the app. Unlike conventional futures, perpetual contracts have no expiration date.

Social platform rollout

Users will also be able to build AI agents inside the app to execute trades on their behalf. Robinhood's social platform, which resembles the Reddit community WallStreetBets, will roll out to all eligible US customers following a beta launch earlier this year.