The London Stock Exchange, or LSE, is one of the world's oldest stock markets, with a rich history dating back to 1698. The exchange began its life in the coffee houses of 17th century London, when John Castaing began issuing "at this Office in Jonathan's Coffee-house" a list of stock and commodity prices called "The Course of the Exchange and other things."
In 1773, the brokers erected their own building in Sweeting's Alley, with a dealing room on the ground floor and a coffee room above. This location was briefly known as "New Jonathan's," but members soon change the name to "The Stock Exchange."
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The Stock Exchange Tower, which was located on Threadneedle Street / Old Broad Street was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, and housed the Trading Floor where members would traditionally meet to conduct business. In July 2004, the London Stock Exchange moved from Threadneedle Street to its present location in Paternoster Square (EC4), close to St Paul's Cathedral, which is still within the "Square Mile" also known as the City of London.
The stated strategy of the London Stock Exchange is to compete globally in the market for financial transaction services and become the stock market of choice. The Exchange intends to grow their existing business as well as the reach and scale of their operations. They intend to do this through business development initiatives, acquisitions, joint ventures, and alliances where appropriate.
As it is organized today, the LSE has four core business areas or offerings to the market:
The following are some of the facts and figures available for the London Stock Exchange, including:
The following tables contain the 2018 and 2019 holiday schedules for the London Stock Exchange.
| Holiday | Date |
| New Year | January 1, 2019 |
| Good Friday | April 19, 2019 |
| Easter Monday | April 22,2019 |
| Early May | May 6, 2019 |
| Spring | May 27, 2019 |
| Summer | August 26, 2019 |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2019 |
| Boxing Day | December 26, 2019 |
On Christmas Eve (celebrated December 24, 2019) and New Year’s Eve (celebrated December 31, 2019), all market hours for the LSE’s trading services and markets will, unless stated otherwise, commence at their normal scheduled times and will close from 12:30 GMT (13:30 CET).
| Holiday | Date |
| New Year | January 1, 2020 |
| Good Friday | April 10, 2020 |
| Easter Monday | April 13,2020 |
| Early May | May 8, 2020 |
| Spring | May 25, 2020 |
| Summer | August 31, 2020 |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2020 |
| Boxing Day | December 28, 2020 |
On Christmas Eve (celebrated December 24, 2020) and New Year’s Eve (celebrated December 31, 2020), all market hours for the LSE’s trading services and markets will, unless stated otherwise, commence at their normal scheduled times and will close from 12:30 GMT (13:30 CET).
Hours of operation / trading occurs on the London Stock Exchange in accordance with the schedule appearing in the following table.
| Trade Reporting | 07:15 - 07:50 |
| Opening Auction | 07:50 - 08:00 |
| Continuous Trading | 08:00 - 16:20 |
| VWAP | 16:20 - 16:30 |
| Closing Auction | 16:30 - 16:35 |
| Order Maintenance | 16:35 - 17:00 |
| Trade Reporting Only | 17:00 - 17:15 |
Note: UK Time is in the Western European Time Zone (WET), which is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is observed in UK Time, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).
About the Author - London Stock Exchange (LSE)
