The forex market operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Trading activity is divided into four major sessions based on the world's financial centers.
Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
London
London, UK
Trading hours vary by instrument type. The table below shows live session data from our MetaTrader 5 trading server.
11 instruments
| Symbol | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver vs. US Dollar (Gram) | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Gold vs. US Dollar (Gram) | 01:05 – 23:58 |
Unlike stock markets, the forex market has no central exchange and no single opening or closing bell. It operates continuously from Sunday evening (22:00 GMT) when the Sydney session opens, through Friday evening (22:00 GMT) when the New York session closes.
The most active periods occur when sessions overlap. The London–New York overlap (13:00–17:00 GMT) is the most volatile period of the day, with the tightest spreads and highest volume. The Tokyo–London overlap (08:00–09:00 GMT) is shorter but also sees increased activity, particularly in EUR/JPY and GBP/JPY.
Liquidity matters. During active sessions, spreads are tighter, execution is faster, and price movements are more predictable. During quiet periods (late New York to early Sydney), spreads widen, volume drops, and prices can make erratic moves. Professional traders plan their activity around the major session overlaps.
Metals, indices, and crypto have their own trading hours. Gold and silver follow a schedule close to forex. Stock indices trade during their respective exchange hours (plus pre/post-market periods). Cryptocurrencies trade 24/7 but with lower weekend liquidity.
Common Questions
New York
New York, USA
Times shown in GMT. Adjust for your local timezone and daylight saving changes.
| 01:01 – 23:58 |
| 01:01 – 23:58 |
| 01:01 – 23:58 |
| 01:01 – 23:58 |
| Closed |
| Closed |
| Gold vs. US Dollar (Kilogram 999.9) | 01:05 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Silver vs. US Dollar | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Aluminum vs. US Dollar (1 Tonne) | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Gold vs. Chinese Yuan | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Gold vs. Euro | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Gold vs. US Dollar | 01:05 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Copper vs. US Dollar (1 Tonne) | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | 04:05 – 21:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Palladium vs. US Dollar | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Platinum vs. US Dollar | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | 01:01 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
3 instruments
| Symbol | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas (Spot) | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Brent Crude Oil (Spot) | 01:00 – 24:00 | 03:00 – 24:00 | 03:00 – 24:00 | 03:00 – 24:00 | 03:00 – 24:00 | Closed | Closed |
| WTI Crude Oil (Spot) | 01:06 – 23:59 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:00 – 23:54 | Closed | Closed |
9 instruments
| Symbol | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany 40 Futures Master Contract | 03:15 – 24:00 | 03:15 – 24:00 | 03:15 – 24:00 | 03:15 – 24:00 | 03:15 – 24:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Gold Futures Master Contract | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | Closed | Closed |
| Natural Gas Futures Master Contract | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | 01:02 – 23:58 | Closed | Closed |
| Silver Futures Master Contract | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | 01:01 – 23:59 | Closed | Closed |
| Brent Crude Oil Futures Master Contract | 01:00 – 23:59 | 00:00 – 00:59, 03:00 – 23:59 | 00:00 – 00:59, 03:00 – 23:59 | 00:00 – 00:59, 03:00 – 23:59 | 00:00 – 00:59, 03:00 – 23:59 | Closed | Closed |
| US Tech 100 Futures Master Contract | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | Closed | Closed |
| US Wall Street 30 Futures Master Contract | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | Closed | Closed |
| US 500 Futures Master Contract | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | Closed | Closed |
| WTI Crude Oil Futures Master Contract | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | 01:00 – 24:00 | Closed | Closed |