Forex market hours and the best times to trade
Forex trades 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday, but not every hour is equal. Liquidity and volatility depend on which financial centres are open.
The sessions (New York time)
- Sydney: roughly 5pm to 2am.
- Tokyo: 7pm to 4am.
- London: 3am to 12pm.
- New York: 8am to 5pm.
The London–New York overlap
Between 8am and 12pm New York time (1pm–5pm in London) the two biggest sessions overlap. It is the highest-volume window of the day, with cleaner moves and tighter spreads on EUR/USD, GBP/USD and gold.
Daylight saving time
Europe and the United States change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks a year the overlap shifts by an hour. Candlemind computes the sessions using the exact historical time zone rules for every date.
What to avoid
The hours between the New York close and the Tokyo open have little liquidity: wider spreads and erratic moves.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to trade EUR/USD?
The London open and the London–New York overlap, from 3am to 12pm New York time.
Can you trade forex at the weekend?
No. The market closes on Friday evening and reopens on Sunday evening (New York time).