Cboe Launches 24-Hour Russell 2000 Options Trading

Cboe Global Markets has officially launched nearly 24-hour trading for Russell 2000 (RUT) options on Friday.

Starting this morning, the Chicago-based exchange integrated the RUT and RUT Weeklys into its Global Trading Hours session, allowing investors to trade these options from 8:15 p.m. ET until 9:25 a.m. ET the following morning.

This structural move signals a shift from standard day trading practices and a response to the always-on nature of modern macro risk, and effectively bridges the gap between the New York Stock Exchange and its European and Asian counterparts.

The Russell 2000, composed of companies that are often more vulnerable to interest rate fluctuations and domestic policy shifts than their mega-cap counterparts, frequently sees its most significant price discovery triggered by overnight news. 

By providing a 13-hour window outside of regular trading hours, Cboe is handing the keys to global investors who, until today, were forced to sit on the sidelines while news broke in London or Tokyo.

"Cboe remains steadfast in our efforts to expand global access to U.S. markets and empower investors with the flexibility and tools they need to manage today’s market environment," said Rob Hocking, Global Head of Derivatives at Cboe. 

He also noted that this move ensures that global investors can now act on their trading strategies in real-time, regardless of the time zone they are currently living in.

The timing of the launch aligns with a feverish appetite for short-dated derivatives. 

The most recent data shows that zero-days-to-expiry (0DTE) contracts now account for roughly 23% of all Russell 2000 options volume. 

For the retail and institutional traders driving this volume, the ability to hedge or speculate during the overnight sessions is a critical evolution in risk management, as evident by the broader perspective on the necessity of this shift, provided by Milan Galik, CEO of Interactive Brokers.

"Interactive Brokers is committed to expanding trading hours across the wide scope of asset classes we offer to our global clientele, as soon as and wherever such expansion is possible.” Galik said. “With exchanges like Cboe now enabling 24/5 trading for Russell 2000 Index options, our clients worldwide gain the ability to manage their small-cap options positions around the clock and respond to international market developments in real-time."

As Cboe’s Global Trading Hours volume surged by 27% through 2025, the addition of the Russell 2000 represents the final pillar in a 24-hour ecosystem that already includes the S&P 500 and the VIX.