ZAMarket hours
Market hours and trading holidays
When each market opens and closes, the forex sessions and their overlaps, weekend availability and the holiday schedule that affects trading conditions. All times shown in GMT.
The basics
How global market hours work
Each market keeps its own hours. Stock and index markets follow the local hours of their exchange, so the London market and the New York market open and close at different times in the day. The forex market has no central exchange, so it runs continuously from Sunday evening to Friday evening as activity passes between the major financial centres in Asia, Europe and North America.
Because trading spans time zones, hours on this page are quoted in GMT. During daylight saving periods the local clock labels shift by one hour in London, New York and Sydney, while the underlying GMT windows stay close to those shown. Always confirm the exact times on your platform during the daylight saving changeover weeks.
Forex sessions in GMT
Local times shown are SAST, which is GMT plus two and does not change for daylight saving.
The sessions run back-to-back, so the forex market does not close at the end of New York. It stays open through to Friday evening and only pauses for the weekend. Read the full forex sessions guide in Trading Academy for liquidity, volatility and currency pair detail.
By market
Trading hours by market
Indicative availability for the main markets you can trade with ThinkMarkets on ThinkTrader, MT4, MT5 and TradingView. Exact session times for each instrument are listed in its contract specification.
Short maintenance windows apply at the weekend and briefly pause trading on cryptocurrencies and weekend gold and silver.
Holiday schedule
Trading holidays
Public holidays in the major financial centres change the hours of the affected markets, and some markets close for the day. The schedule below is updated for each holiday period. Select a date to see the markets affected on that day.
All times are quoted in GMT.
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ASX 200 | AUS200 | Open 07:10 |
| AU Shares | N/A | Closed |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SA Shares | N/A | Closed |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong HS50 | HK50 | Close 19:00 |
| Hang Seng Tech Index | HSTECH | Close 19:00 |
| China H Shares Index | CHINA_H | Close 19:00 |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| DAX 40 | GER40 | Close 20:00 |
| Euro Stoxx 50 | ESTX50 | Close 20:00 |
| CAC 40 | FRA40 | Close 20:00 |
| SWISS 20 | SWI20 | Close 20:00 |
| NETH 25 | NETH25 | Close 20:00 |
| Dow Jones | US30 | Close 17:00 |
| US S&P 500 | SPX500 | Close 17:00 |
| NASDAQ | NAS100 | Close 17:00 |
| Russell 2000 | US2000 | Close 17:00 |
| Nikkei 225 | JPN225 | Close 17:00 |
| USD Index | USDINDEX | Close 17:00 |
| Volatility Index Future | VIX | Close 15:30 |
| FTSE 100 | UK100 | Close 20:00 |
| Hong Kong HS50 | HK50 | Closed |
| Hang Seng Tech Index | HSTECH | Closed |
| China H Shares Index | CHINA_H | Closed |
| Brent Oil | BRENT, LCOK5 | Close 17:30 |
| US Crude Oil | WTI, WTCLJ5 | Close 17:00 |
| Natural Gas | NGAS | Close 17:00 |
| Spot Gold | XAUUSD | Close 17:00 |
| Gold Euro | XAUEUR | Close 17:00 |
| Spot Silver | XAGUSD | Close 17:00 |
| Spot Platinum | XPTUSD | Close 14:00 |
| US Index Futures | YM*6, ES*6, NQ*6 | Close 17:00 |
| EU Index Futures | FDX*6 | Close 20:00 |
| Gold Futures | GC*6 | Close 17:00 |
| HK Shares | N/A | Closed |
| US Shares | N/A | Closed |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong HS50 | HK50 | Open 01:15 |
| Hang Seng Tech Index | HSTECH | Open 01:15 |
| China H Shares Index | CHINA_H | Open 01:15 |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong HS50 | HK50 | Close 19:00 |
| Hang Seng Tech Index | HSTECH | Close 19:00 |
| China H Shares Index | CHINA_H | Close 19:00 |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong HS50 | HK50 | Closed |
| Hang Seng Tech Index | HSTECH | Closed |
| China H Shares Index | CHINA_H | Closed |
| Market | Symbol | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong HS50 | HK50 | Open 01:15 |
| Hang Seng Tech Index | HSTECH | Open 01:15 |
| China H Shares Index | CHINA_H | Open 01:15 |
The instruments trading hours from the tables above are specified in GMT and are subject to further adjustments based on market liquidity. Trading conditions may vary during holiday periods due to reduced liquidity and banking availability. This can affect pricing, spreads, and execution. Clients should take this into account when depositing, managing positions or placing trades during this time.
Weekends
What you can trade at the weekend
Standard forex pairs, indices and shares are closed from Friday evening to Sunday evening. A selection of markets remains available across Saturday and Sunday.
Questions
Market hours, answered
What are forex market hours?
The forex market runs 24 hours a day on weekdays. It opens on Sunday evening and closes on Friday evening, with activity passing between the Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York sessions. There is no central exchange, so the market hands off continuously between these financial centres rather than opening and closing once a day.
What is the best time to trade forex?
Liquidity is usually highest when two sessions are open at once. The London and New York overlap, around 13:00 to 17:00 GMT, which is 15:00 to 19:00 SAST, sees the largest share of daily volume. Higher activity can mean tighter spreads, and it can also mean greater volatility, so a risk management plan matters in any session.
Can you trade on weekends?
Standard forex pairs, indices and shares are closed at the weekend. With ThinkMarkets you can trade a selection of markets across Saturday and Sunday, including gold and silver and cryptocurrencies. Availability depends on your account entity and region.
How do public holidays affect trading hours?
When a major financial centre observes a public holiday, the markets tied to that centre may close for the day or trade a shortened session with an early close. Liquidity across related markets can be lower during these periods, which can widen spreads and affect execution. The holiday schedule on this page is updated for each holiday period.
What are JSE trading hours?
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange runs its main equities session from 09:00 to 17:00 SAST on weekdays. With ThinkMarkets you can trade South African shares and the JSE Top 40 as CFDs that follow these hours. SAST does not change for daylight saving.
Why are market hours shown in GMT?
Market hours are shown in GMT because it is a fixed reference point. Local clocks in London, New York and Sydney shift during daylight saving periods, but the GMT times always stay the same.
Are cryptocurrency markets open 24/7?
Cryptocurrency markets trade continuously, including weekends. Crypto availability depends on your account entity and region.
Can I leave an order when the markets are closed?
Yes. On ThinkTrader, you can place pending orders while a market is closed. The order sits until trading resumes and is triggered then if your price conditions are met. Prices can gap when a market reopens, so the fill may differ from the level you set.
Can I back test a strategy when the market is closed?
Yes. ThinkTrader includes Traders’ Gym, which lets you test a strategy against historical price data at any time, including weekends and holidays when the live market is closed.
Get started
Trade around the clock with ThinkMarkets
Markets move through every session and the weekend. Trade forex, indices, metals and crypto on ThinkTrader.
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