On December 15, 2025, the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq) announced that it intends to formally seek Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approval to expand its weekday trading schedule to 23 hours per day, a significant increase from the current 16-hour framework. The proposal builds on earlier statements by Nasdaq President , Tal Cohen, indicating that Nasdaq has begun discussions with regulators regarding the expanded trading schedule and is targeting a potential launch in the second half of 2026.

Two recent developments signal where the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) is headed in 2026. First, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins’ address at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 2, 2025 set forth guiding principles for reform with the goal to, in Chairman Atkins’ words, “make IPOs great again.”

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) case against SolarWinds and its Chief Information Security Officer has been dismissed, closing a high-profile cybersecurity enforcement action. This comes as SEC actions against public companies have dropped 30% year-over-year, with the lowest level of enforcement action since 2012—highlighting a notable slowdown in regulatory activity.