Night Owl Update: SEC Offers Suggestions for After-Hours Trading

Well, it's a start. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq today released structural recommendations for after-hours trading.

The result? Don't expect retail Microsoft (MSFT Quote) volumes on MarketXT or Island ECN to get into the six-digit range. And don't expect the pros to start trading through dinner either, at least not yet.

But the guidelines call for high advertising standards, investor education about the after-hours sessions and, perhaps most important, a one-hour break between the standard and extended hours. The guidelines were compiled by three of four working groups that have been meeting since early July at the request of the Securities and Exchange Commission. ...