What time does the forex market open?

Use this Forex Market Time Zone Converter & the Kill Zone tool to check major Forex trading sessions' opening and closing times and the ICT Kill Zone in your local time zone.

How to use the FX SAM Forex Market Time Zone Converter & the Kill Zone

The Forex market is open 24 hours every weekday, so you can trade whenever possible. Knowing the market's opening and closing times and the four primary trading sessions is essential. The Forex Market Time Zone Converter & the Kill Zone are handy tools to quickly see which trading session is currently active in your local time

Forex Trading Sessions:

Even though the forex market operates around the clock, it’s not always the best time to trade at any given moment. The most favorable times to trade are when the market is bustling with activity, leading to a high trade volume. The forex market operates through four primary sessions: Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York

Forex Trading Volume:

You can earn money trading whether the market is going up or down, but it's tough to make money when the market is flat. The market needs a lot of trades to move, so it's best to trade during busy sessions. These trading sessions are named after major financial cities and align with the local work hours of traders in those cities. More traders mean higher trading volume and a more active market. An active market gives you tighter spreads and less slippage, which means better order execution.

Typical Daily Trading Volume

What time of day is best for forex trading?

On weekdays, at least one forex trading session is open, but there are times when the market is tranquil with low trading volume. It's best to avoid trading during these quiet times and wait for periods when sessions overlap. When two major financial centers are open at once, the number of traders buying and selling increases. The busiest period is when the London and New York sessions overlap, accounting for more than 50% of the total trading volume. The ideal time to trade forex depends on the currency pair you're interested in. Most trading activity for a particular currency pair happens when the trading sessions of the related currencies overlap. For example, AUD/JPY will see higher trading volume when both Sydney and Tokyo sessions are open. Similarly, EUR/USD will see increased trading activity when the London and New York sessions overlap.