Singapore Exchange, operator of the city’s derivatives and securities exchange, is mulling the possibility of scrapping its midday trading break, Chief Executive Officer Magnus Bocker told reporters today.

Scrapping the break could boost trading volumes by between 8 to 10%, Bocker said, adding that discussions with stockbrokers are on-going. He was speaking at a lunch organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore.

 

“I hope there will be a good acceptance of continuous trading,” Bocker said.

 

The bourse’s trading day runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a 90 minute break and an afternoon session between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Singapore’s Today newspaper reported the possible removal of the break yesterday. The city-state’s exchange doesn’t have a timeline for the change, the newspaper said.

 

Bocker also said the bourse has a “good pipeline” of initial public offerings and that companies may list once market sentiment stabilises. The benchmark Straits Times Index is down 1.6% from its high this year on April 14.

 

Malaysia’s Mewah Group is among companies that have announced plans to list in Singapore. The vegetable oils company is planning an IPO to raise $250 million to $400 million, Chief Financial Officer Rajesh Chopra said on July 5.