The Tokyo Stock Exchange could resume regular market hours by the end of the month, TSE President Taizo Nishimuro said Friday, a move that would bring an end to some three months of curtailed trading.
The bourse has been starting the afternoon trading session 30 minutes later at 1 p.m. since Jan. 19, after investors became spooked by the raid on Internet firm Livedoor Co. on Jan. 18. Panicked traders and investors flooded the system with sell orders, forcing the TSE to close trading early.
"We are hopeful that we would make our decision to return to normal trading hours sometime this month," Nishimuro said during a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo.