Central News Agency (CNA) Taipei, July 1 -- The Taiwan Stock Exchange is considering extending trading hours for the Taiwan stock market. Chen Chun-hung, chairman of the Securities Dealers Association, stated today that given the current high trading volume and volatility of the Taiwan stock market, extending trading hours is a significant matter that warrants further consideration. He believes it is more important to allow the market to achieve stable growth first. The Taiwan Stock Exchange is currently researching the extension of trading hours for the Taiwan stock market. Preliminary plans include extending trading by 1 to 1.5 hours, with a closing time of 3:30 PM being one of the feasible options. In response, Chen Chun-hung, chairman of the Securities Dealers Association and chairman of Taishin Securities, told CNA reporters that the Taiwan stock market currently has such high daily trading volumes and significant volatility, making the extension of trading hours a major issue that requires further review. He emphasized that allowing the market to achieve stable growth is more important at this time. Chen Chun-hung stated that the regulatory authorities have been studying the extension of Taiwan stock market trading hours for some time, but have not yet further consulted with securities firms. Previously, some securities firms privately expressed that the peak trading volume for the Taiwan stock market is concentrated in the hour after opening and the hour before closing, and extending trading hours would not significantly boost trading volume. Furthermore, extending trading hours would involve numerous operational adjustments. For example, if the closing time is extended to 3:30 PM, bank clearing and settlement might not conclude until 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM. This would require coordination not only from securities firms but also from the banking sector. Additionally, a chairman of a securities firm pointed out privately that the current trading volume in the Taiw