Markets to be open seven days a week; Bruce Markets to launch first continuous weekend U.S. Equities trading with strategic investments led by PEAK6 and Robinhood. Sep 29, 2026, 19:00 ET * Bruce Markets to usher in 24/7 U.S. stock trading, pending regulatory review * Expansion draws on Nasdaq's trading technology and clearing services from Apex Clearing Corporation * New weekend session expected to go live in the coming months CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Bruce Markets LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and operator of Bruce ATS(TM), today announced a landmark agreement to extend U.S. equity trading throughout the weekend, subject to regulatory review. The initiative is designed to bring continuous 24/7 stock trading to global investors. To power this expansion, Bruce Markets will leverage new strategic investments from PEAK6 Investments, the majority shareholder, and Robinhood Markets. Apex Fintech Solutions, Fidelity Investments, Nasdaq Ventures, NH Investment & Securities, tastytrade and Webull remain investors. Bruce Markets will expand its use of Nasdaq's trading technology, while clearing, carrying, and custody services will be provided by Apex Clearing Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Apex Fintech Solutions, Inc. The agreement marks a major milestone in U.S. equity market structure. By extending the weekend session to enable 24/7 market access, Bruce Markets and its partners will establish the first ever round-the-clock U.S. equity trading ecosystem for global investors. Bruce Markets expects the new weekend session to launch in the coming months. Jason Wallach, CEO, Bruce Markets: "We are changing the way customers can access U.S. equities and finally ushering in true 24/7 trading. Market-moving news does not wait for Monday's open, and soon, neither will investors. Together with our partners, we are breaking down the limitations of traditional market structure and redefining how the world trades." Jenny Just, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, PEAK6 Investments: "The world doesn't take weekends off, and now neither will the markets. This is the end of the five-day market. For the first time, markets will keep moving with the people, and Bruce Markets is here to lead that change." Steve Quirk, Chief Brokerage Officer, Robinhood: "Market-moving news can break at any moment, including over the weekend. With 24/7 trading, Robinhood customers will soon be able to trade equities around the clock, seven days a week, so they can manage their portfolios in real time and trade on their own schedule." Magnus Haglind, Head of Capital Markets Technology, Nasdaq: "Always-on markets demand resilient, flexible and scalable infrastructure. Our trading technology gives Bruce Markets a proven foundation to extend resilient, transparent market access throughout the weekend." William Capuzzi, CEO, Apex Fintech Solutions: "Apex continues to modernize market infrastructure, and weekend trading is a natural next step in that work. We're proud to support Bruce Markets, PEAK6, and Robinhood in delivering it." ABOUT BRUCE MARKETS Bruce Markets operates Bruce ATS(TM), a U.S. equities alternative trading system enabling overnight trading from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM ET. Underpinned by exchange grade technology and market rules, led by industry veterans and backed by leading firms from across the trading ecosystem, Bruce provides a high-performance, resilient venue that bridges the U.S. after-hours and pre-market sessions. By providing a credible source of after-hours liquidity for brokers and investors and leading the evolution of always-available markets, Bruce brings needed competition to the ecosystem and is redefining after-hours trading worldwide. To learn more, visit www.brucemarkets.com. SOURCE Bruce Markets

Astromech, an artificial intelligence spinoff of Colossal Biosciences, has raised $20 million at a $3.8 billion valuation. The Dallas-based company, founded by Ben Lamm and George Church, is developing AI models to predict biological outcomes with applications in conservation and disease prevention. The funding round was led by Bob Nelsen alongside Peak 6, NeoGenesis Capital, Builders VC and CA Investments. This brings Astromech's total funding to $60 million and nearly doubles its $2 billion valuation from March. The company will use the funds to expand its research team, broaden training datasets to new species and scale model training. Built on genomic data from Colossal, Astromech's technology aims to predict biological changes and identify system vulnerabilities. For its first demonstration, Astromech is studying longevity in species like Asian elephants and bowhead whales.