SMC Term — Concept
What is NWOG?
New Week Opening Gap
NWOG — New Week Opening Gap
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The New Week Opening Gap (NWOG) is the price gap between the Friday market close and the Sunday/Monday market open. These gaps form because the forex market closes on Friday and reopens on Sunday evening. NWOGs act as powerful magnets — price frequently retraces to fill the gap during the following trading week. Monitoring NWOGs helps predict early-week directional bias.
How to Trade NWOG
At the start of each week, identify the NWOG by noting Friday's closing price and Monday's opening price. Mark the gap zone on your chart. If price opened higher than it closed (gap up), price may pull back to fill the NWOG lower. If it opened lower (gap down), price may rally back up to fill the gap. The NWOG fill is often a Monday or Tuesday move before the week's main trend begins.
Real Example — XAUUSD
Example: Gold closes Friday at 3310. Monday opens at 3325 — a bullish NWOG gap between 3310–3325. During Monday/Tuesday, price pulls back from 3325 down toward 3310 to fill the gap. Plan a short from 3322 targeting the fill at 3312. After fill, reassess for the week's main direction.
Related SMC Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a New Week Opening Gap (NWOG)?
The New Week Opening Gap is the price difference between Friday's forex market close and Sunday/Monday's opening price. Since forex closes on Friday and reopens Sunday evening, a gap often forms. These gaps act as strong price magnets — price frequently returns to fill the NWOG early in the trading week.
Why does price fill the NWOG?
Price fills the NWOG because the gap represents an area of price inefficiency — no trades occurred during the weekend closure. Market makers and institutions often push price back to fill this gap to establish fair value before the week's main directional move begins. It is similar to why FVGs get filled.
How do you trade the NWOG?
Identify the NWOG at the start of each week. If there is a gap up, watch for a short entry from Monday's opening area targeting the Friday close level. If there is a gap down, watch for a long targeting the fill. Use SMC confirmation (OB, FVG, CHoCH) within the NWOG zone for entry. Do not blindly trade the fill — wait for price action confirmation.
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