Forex Trading Hours - When To Trade?

By Steve Maenshel

Forex trading hours are the hours of the opening and closing of the largest market in the world - the foreign exchange market. Forex trading hours overlap each other in various countries around the globe, and one can say that Forex is always open. However, in reality it is not completely so. Forex market is indeed always open, but not everywhere at the same time. As well as, some trading hours are better for trades than others. Forex opening and closing hours depend on the opening and the closing hours of the main financial institutions of various countries.

Experts identify four major time zones, whose Forex trading hours substantially differ: Australia, Asia, Europe and America. Forex trading hours in Tokyo begin at 23:00 GMT on Sunday. This starts the weekly trading session. The weekly trading session closes on Friday at 10 pm in Chicago.

Forex market does not stop its work even during the biggest holidays, because there will always be a region on Earth, which does not considered that day a holiday. The best examples are the opposing Christian and Muslim holidays. When a holiday starts in the Christian regions of the planet, you may simply concentrate your Forex trading hours on the financial centers of the Muslim countries, and vice versa. Even during the "global" holidays, currency trading usually does not just stop. For example, during the Catholic Christmas, you can still get the currency quotes from Muslim countries and other Asian countries banks.

One of the least suitable days for Forex trading is the weekends. This is due to that it is often hard to find a counterpart for your transaction, since the volume of both - sellers and buyers - is much less on the weekends. Novice Forex traders should try to only trade within the Forex trading hours on the weekdays.

Forex trading hours are different around the globe, which makes Forex one of the most colorful and mixed markets. The currencies that are traded on the Forex market include such major currencies like: USD, Euro, Yen, Pounds, Australian and Canadian Dollars and many others.

Why were Forex trading hours established? Why cant the market be open 24/7 without holidays? Forex trading hours are also needed for employees to carry out certain necessary operations to maintain order at the market, as well as for the traders to simply get some "rest".

Some countries actually get the Forex trading hours falling particularly in the time of the late evening and night. However, in other countries Forex trading hours perfectly fit within the regular business day.

Forex trading hours in the main 4 timezones

Forex trading hours overlap and make up 24 hours of every day, 5 days a week. Trades are also carried out on the weekends. However they are much less active. Below you can take a look at the Forex trading hours in the 4 major time zones, in accordance with Eastern Standard Time:

Tokyo, Trading Hours: 19.00 to 04.00 EST

New York, Trading Hours: 08.00 to 17.00 EST

London, Trading Hours: 03.00 to 12.00 (noon) EST

Sydney, Trading Hours: 17.00 to 02.00 EST

Forex trading hours are also an important part of a trading strategy, since the trades will differ depending on the Forex trading hours, which you choose to trade at. - 23208

About the Author:

Author Steve Maenshel can help you take advantage of the forex trading hours. For more forex trading information, visit his forex resource center.