The rise of New Zealand’s ‘always-on’ trader

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

By Chris Smith, Managing Director of CMC Markets New Zealand

OPINION: New Zealand traders are increasingly expecting markets to operate on their schedule - not the other way around.

For decades, trading revolved around fixed trading windows. Markets opened in the morning, closed in the afternoon, and traders largely waited until the next session to respond to new developments.

Over the past few years, I've watched trader expectations change dramatically. The idea of waiting until Monday morning to react to major global events simply doesn't make sense to many of the clients we speak to today. Today, traders follow global news, asset prices and economic events in real time. Market-moving developments no longer occur neatly within exchange hours, and for New Zealand traders in particular, some of the biggest global events happen while local markets are closed.

The growing availability of weekend trading in certain asset classes is one early signal of where the industry is heading. As traders increasingly expect markets to reflect the pace of modern information flows, access to key assets beyond traditional trading hours is becoming harder to ignore. This reflects a broader industry trend already underway globally: markets are becoming more continuous, more accessible and more responsive to how traders now engage with financial products.

The rise of crypto trading accelerated this shift significantly. Whether people like it or not, crypto changed trader expectations forever. Once people became accustomed to markets that never closed, it was inevitable they would start asking why other asset classes remained confined to fixed trading windows.

While traditional asset classes still largely operate within exchange-based structures, trader expectations have changed. Increasingly, people expect to be able to respond to breaking developments when they happen - not hours or days later when markets reopen.

For New Zealand traders, that expectation is amplified by geography.

New Zealand traders have always faced a structural disadvantage. Some of the world's most significant economic announcements, geopolitical developments and market-moving events occur while we're asleep. For decades we've simply accepted that reality. Increasingly, traders are questioning why they should.

By the time many traders wake up, international markets have often already absorbed and priced in those developments. The opportunity to respond in real time has passed, leaving traders to react to events rather than participate in them as they unfold.

That disconnect is becoming harder to ignore in a world where financial news moves instantly and traders are more globally connected than ever before.

Gold is a strong example of this evolution.

Gold has long been viewed as one of the world’s key risk-sensitive assets, often reacting sharply during periods of geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty or major global events. Yet historically, traders have had limited ability to respond to those developments over weekends, despite news continuing to unfold in real time.

The emergence of weekend trading access for assets such as gold reflects growing demand for greater flexibility beyond the traditional market cycle.

Importantly, this is not happening in isolation. Across the industry, platforms, exchanges and financial technology companies are all moving toward greater market accessibility.

Extended-hours CFD share trading continues to expand globally, discussions around tokenised assets and 24/7 equities trading are accelerating, and competition across trading platforms is increasingly centred around flexibility and access.

At the same time, access to 24/5 US share trading is becoming increasingly common, reflecting growing demand for longer trading windows that better align with the global flow of news and information.

In many ways, the industry is collectively building toward a future where continuous market participation becomes far more common.

That evolution is being driven by both technology and customer demand.

A new generation of traders have grown up with real-time digital services across banking, entertainment, shopping and communication. Unsurprisingly, they increasingly expect trading to operate with the same immediacy and flexibility.

The concept of waiting for markets to reopen can feel increasingly disconnected from how information is consumed today.

Greater market accessibility gives traders more flexibility in how they manage risk, monitor positions and respond to global developments as they unfold.

That does not mean every market will become fully 24/7 overnight. Traditional exchanges, liquidity structures and regulatory frameworks still shape how financial markets operate.

But the direction of travel is becoming increasingly clear.

The future of trading is likely to involve broader access, longer trading windows and more continuous participation across asset classes. Weekend products, extended-hours trading, 24/5 US shares, and tokenised markets are all part of that broader transition.

For New Zealand traders, the expectation of constant connectivity is no longer emerging - it is already here.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not intended to be personalised financial advice.