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Forex Market Hours

The Four Major Sessions

Sydney: 10 PM – 7 AM UTC. Tokyo: 12 AM – 9 AM UTC. London: 8 AM – 5 PM UTC. New York: 1 PM – 10 PM UTC. Forex open from Sunday 10 PM UTC to Friday 10 PM UTC. Weekends: closed.

London-New York Overlap — Peak Volume

The London-New York overlap (1 PM – 5 PM UTC) is the highest-volume period in forex — about 50% of all daily volume. EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and gold (XAU/USD) see their biggest moves here.

Session Times for Asian Traders

UAE (UTC+4): London opens 12 PM, New York 9 PM. Best window: 12 PM–2 AM. Indonesia WIB (UTC+7): London 3 PM, New York 12 AM. Best: 3 PM–12 AM. Philippines PHT (UTC+8): London 4 PM, New York 1 AM. Best: 4 PM–1 AM.

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Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time to trade gold (XAU/USD)?
Most active during the London-New York overlap (1 PM–5 PM UTC). Major US data (NFP, CPI, Fed decisions) also cause large gold moves.
Is forex closed on weekends?
Yes. Forex closes Friday ~10 PM UTC and reopens Sunday ~10 PM UTC. Crypto exchanges trade 24/7 but forex does not.

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