PANews reported on October 20th that according to Bloomberg, South Korea's new ATS exchange, Nextrade, has captured nearly 30% of stock trading volume within a few months of its launch. For some stocks, such as Doosan Energy, the platform's trading volume surpasses that of the Korea Exchange (KRX). Nextrade offers 12-hour trading and lower fees. Retail investors account for 86% of trading volume, while foreign investors account for 11%. Due to regulations that limit single-stock and total volume to 30% and 15%, respectively, regulators have temporarily lifted the single-stock cap, but the total volume cap remains. Nextrade has suspended trading in nearly 150 stocks to comply, forcing KRX to consider extending its trading hours.
ATS stands for "Alternative Trading System," often translated into Chinese as "alternative trading system." It connects buyers and sellers to match transactions, offering more flexible timeframes and fees, but typically lacks the functions of traditional exchanges, such as IPOs.