File photo: AFP

TOKYO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) will stop trading throughout Thursday due to a major glitch, the Japan Exchange Group Inc. said.

Trading has been halted in all shares listed on the TSE since Thursday morning due to a problem with the system, the group said, with trading unable to get underway by the 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) morning bell.

The bourse was still not functioning at the end of what would have been the morning session at 11:30 a.m. local time.

It said earlier Thursday that it had identified a glitch related to transmitting trading data and receiving trading orders.

The Tokyo bourse's off-hours trading was also halted, officials said in the morning, adding that trading was also suspended at bourses in Sapporo, Nagoya and Fukuoka.

The Japan Exchange Group said the Tokyo Commodity Exchange was not affected by the technical issue and Futures trading on the Osaka Exchange began as usual on Thursday.

According to local media reports the glitch that has affected trading has significantly impacted the 3,700 companies listed on the TSE alone.

Numerous businesses and individual investors have been affected by the shutdown and suspensions, according to the local media.