NEW YORK (Reuters) - Market infrastructure company Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) said on Tuesday it plans to increase its clearing services operating hours to support extended U.S. equities trading in the second quarter of 2026, according to a statement.

When clearing a trade, the DTCC processes it and takes care of risks to avoid disruptions.

The clearing house's move comes as U.S. exchanges are planning to offer 24-hour trading. Nasdaq President Tal Cohen wrote in a social media post earlier this month that it has started discussions with regulators to launch 24-hour, five-day-a-week trading in the second half of 2026, as international demand for U.S. stocks has surged in recent years.

Rival exchanges Cboe Global Markets and Intercontinental Exchange, the operator of the New York Stock Exchange, are also planning round-the-clock trading services.

Still pending regulatory review and approval, DTCC's new clearing offer through its National Securities Clearing Corporation is aimed at providing the infrastructure exchanges need to trade in extended hours.

NSCC intends to operate from Sunday 8 p.m. ET (0000 GMT Monday) through Friday 8 p.m. ET (0000 GMT Saturday), it said. Last year, the clearing house started allowing trading platforms to submit trades at 1:30 a.m. ET (0530 GMT), roughly 2.5 hours earlier.