Market Hours

Global Markets — Open / Closed

Live status for all major forex and stock exchanges.
UTC Time: --:--:--  |  Local: --:--:--  | 
Forex Sessions
Stock Exchanges

Forex Market Hours Explained

The forex market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. It opens with the Sydney session at 21:00 UTC on Sunday and closes with the New York session at 21:00 UTC on Friday. There are four major sessions: Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York. The highest liquidity — and the best time to trade XAUUSD, EURUSD and GBPUSD — is during the London/New York overlap, 12:00–16:00 UTC.

SessionOpen (UTC)Close (UTC)Best for
Sydney21:0006:00AUD, NZD pairs
Tokyo00:0009:00JPY pairs, gold
London07:0016:00EUR, GBP, XAUUSD
New York12:0021:00USD pairs, XAUUSD
London/NY overlap12:0016:00Highest liquidity
Stock ExchangeOpen (UTC)Close (UTC)
NYSE / NASDAQ13:3020:00
London (LSE)08:0016:30
Tokyo (TSE)00:0006:00
Frankfurt (XETRA)07:0015:30
Hong Kong (HKEX)01:3008:00

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the forex market open?
The forex market opens with the Sydney session at 21:00 UTC on Sunday and stays open 24/5 until the New York close at 21:00 UTC on Friday. Major session opens: Sydney 21:00, Tokyo 00:00, London 07:00, New York 12:00 UTC.
What is the best time to trade forex?
The best time is the London/New York overlap, 12:00–16:00 UTC, when liquidity and volatility peak — ideal for XAUUSD, EURUSD and GBPUSD. The London open (07:00 UTC) is another key window for SMC traders.
Is the forex market open on weekends?
No. Forex closes at 21:00 UTC Friday and reopens at 21:00 UTC Sunday. Cryptocurrency markets trade 24/7, but forex and stock exchanges are closed on weekends.

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