Rakuten Securities Launches US Pre-Market Trading in 2026

Rakuten Securities will offer US stock pre-market trading from Jan 26, 2026, enabling 12-hour trading and faster responses.

Key Points

• US stocks tradable from 6:00 PM Japan Time, covering pre-market and regular sessions for up to 12 hours.
• Margin requirements use lower real-time or previous close; margin calls and stop losses still based on regular hours.

Japanese online broker Rakuten Securities Inc. announced it will begin offering after-hours trading for US stocks starting Monday, January 26, 2026. The move will allow clients to trade US equities from 6:00 PM Japan Time, significantly expanding trading opportunities for investors who currently must wait until later in the evening.

Under the new service, Rakuten Securities customers can monitor and trade US stocks for up to 12 hours, beginning at 6:00 PM Japan Time during the winter months. This extended window will include both pre-market and regular trading hours, enabling investors to react swiftly when major economic news breaks during Asian trading hours.

Rakuten Securities Launches US Pre-Market Trading in 2026

The company said the expanded schedule aims to support traders who need faster access to US markets, especially when market-moving announcements occur while Japan is still active. By opening trading earlier, Rakuten Securities hopes to provide clients with more flexibility and reduce the need to wait until nighttime for market access.

For US stock margin trading, Rakuten Securities will calculate margin requirements and new opening capacity based on the lower of two price points: real-time current prices—including pre-market and after-market trading—or the previous day’s closing price. This approach is designed to reflect real-time market conditions while maintaining a conservative risk assessment.

Even with the expanded trading hours, the company confirmed that it will still determine additional margin requirements, such as margin calls, using the regular market closing price as before. Likewise, it will evaluate stop-loss orders only during the regular market session, which runs from 11:30 PM to 6:00 AM Japan Time. During daylight saving time in the US, the start and end times will shift forward by one hour.

Active traders and long-term investors will flock to the new after-hours trading service, seeking greater flexibility to respond to global market developments.

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