Leifras Anticipates Benefit from Expanded Trading Access as Nasdaq Plans 23-Hour Weekday Trading

Leifras ADSs to Become More Accessible for Trading, Including During Daytime Hours in Japan

TOKYO, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: LFS) (the "Company" or "Leifras"), a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement and Japan's leading operator of children's sports schools and school club activity support businesses, today announced that its Nasdaq-listed American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") are expected to benefit from the planned expansion of Nasdaq trading hours to 23 hours per weekday starting December 6, 2026.

In parallel, certain Japanese online brokerages are expanding access to extended-hours trading in U.S. equities, including pre-market and after-hours sessions. These developments are expected to provide investors in Japan with greater flexibility in trading the Company's Nasdaq-listed ADSs.

Nasdaq Expected to Launch 23-Hour Trading on December 6, 2026

According to Nasdaq's press release^[1], Nasdaq has received approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to extend trading hours to 23 hours per weekday, five days a week, and is expected to formally launch its 23/5 trading schedule on December 6, 2026.

The expanded schedule is expected to allow investors in Japan to trade the Company's shares in real time during a broader portion of Japan's daytime hours, providing additional flexibility to participate in the U.S. equity market.

Growing Access to Extended-Hours Trading in Japan

Certain Japanese online brokerages are also expanding extended-hours trading for U.S. equities, including ADSs of Leifras. Current and planned developments include the following:

• Rakuten Securities: According to Rakuten Securities' announcement^[2], since June 22, 2026, Rakuten Securities has been offering pre-market trading from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Japan time during U.S. daylight saving time. It has also been offering after-hours trading from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Japan time during U.S. daylight saving time since January 26, 2026^[3]. Together with regular market hours, these sessions currently allow up to 16 hours of U.S. equity trading per day. According to Nihon Keizai Shimbun^[4], Rakuten Securities will support 23-hour trading from the launch of Nasdaq's expanded trading schedule.
  
  
• SBI Securities: According to SBI Securities' announcement^[5], in connection with the planned expansion of U.S. equity trading hours beginning December 6, 2026, SBI Securities plans to launch pre-market and after-hours trading for U.S. equities during 2026, which is expected to enable up to 23 hours of trading per day.

Investors should refer to the official websites of Rakuten Securities and SBI Securities for the latest information regarding service availability, trading rules, eligible securities and implementation schedules.

Future Outlook

Leifras welcomes the enhanced accessibility of its Nasdaq-listed ADSs and remains committed to broadening engagement with a diverse and growing investor base. The Company believes that the continued development of the financial market infrastructure in both the United States and Japan may improve accessibility to its shares and support its ongoing efforts to enhance corporate value and its pursuit of sustainable business growth.

Important Notice

This announcement is provided solely for informational purposes and is not intended to recommend or solicit the use of any particular brokerage firm or the purchase, sale or holding of any securities.

About LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Leifras is a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement. The Company primarily provides services related to the organization and operations of sports schools and sports events for children. As of December 31, 2025, Leifras was recognized as one of Japan's largest operators of children's sports schools in terms of both membership and facilities by Tokyo Shoko Research. The Company's approach to sports education emphasizes the development of non-cognitive skills, following the teaching principle "acknowledge, praise, encourage, and motivate." The holistic approach that integrates physical and mental development sets Leifras apart in the industry. Building upon deep experience and know-how in sports education, Leifras also operates a robust social business sector, dispatching sports coaches to meet various community needs with the aim to promote physical health, social inclusion, and community well-being across different demographics.

For more information, please visit the Company's website: https://ir.leifras.co.jp/.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company's current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as "approximates," "believes," "hopes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "plans," "will," "would," "should," "could," "may," or other similar expressions in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the annual report and other filings with the SEC. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.

For more information, please contact:

LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
Investor Relations Department
Email: [email protected]

Ascent Investor Relations LLC
Tina Xiao
Phone: +1-646-932-7242
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.