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The foreign exchange market is also referred to as forex or FX. It is the biggest and most liquid financial market globally. It has an average daily transaction of more than $6 trillion. Its ability to function around the clock, five days a week, in key financial cities worldwide makes it unique over others. The fact that the FX market is open and active in several time zones throughout the world allows for its 24/7 nature. To make the most of their trading possibilities and make well-informed decisions, traders must be aware of the hours of the forex market. So let’s go over it in more depth and see why it’s important for traders.
Importance of Forex Market Hours
Forex market hours help traders to identify the best times to trade. The periods of session overlaps, such as the London/New York overlap, offer the highest volatility and trading opportunities. Traders can plan their strategies around the specific characteristics of each session to enhance their trading efficiency. As you know volatility varies across different sessions. Higher volatility sessions like the London and New York overlaps can affect the significant price movements which increase both potential gains and risks. For the protection of their money, traders can use these patterns that help them implement efficient risk management techniques.
Overview of Forex Market Hours
The Forex market is open from Monday to Friday and operates 24 hours because it operates all over the world due to different time zones. These sessions also overlap sometimes which increases the volatility and trading activity. It contains four major trading sessions including:
Sydney Session: 10 PM – 7 AM GMT
Tokyo Session: 12 AM – 9 AM GMT
London Session: 8 AM – 5 PM GMT
New York Session: 1 PM – 10 PM GMT
Sydney Session:
The trading week with the Sydney session, which closes at 7 AM GMT after 10 PM GMT. The Sydney session sets the tone for the day as the Asian markets open. As opposed to other sessions, the Sydney session is very calm, but it’s still crucial to remember that significant currency pairings like AUD/USD and NZD/USD are actively traded during this period. The currency that is being traded the most during this session is the Australian dollar. Some characteristics include:
- It has Lower volatility and liquidity
- Their main focus is on AUD and NZD
- Preparation for the Tokyo session
Tokyo Session:
After the Sydney session, the Tokyo session starts at 12 AM GMT and finishes at 9 AM GMT. Tokyo is the Asian financial center and sees a lot of trade activity throughout this session. The major currency pairings are Japanese yen’s like USD/JPY and EUR/JPY are active. During this session, Japan’s economic data releases have a significant effect on currency values. Both high volatility and high liquidity are the characteristics of this session. It has the following characteristics:
- They have increased volatility as compared to the Sydney session
- The major influence of JPY
- The significant economic data releases from Japan
London Session:
Most people believe that the London session is the most important in the currency trading business which starts at 8 a.m. GMT and finishes at 5 p.m. GMT. London is a prominent player in the currency market since it houses some of the largest banks and financial institutions. High liquidity and volatility are predicted throughout the day, particularly in the case of big economic data releases or central bank comments. The London session is often when major currency pairs such as EUR/USD and GBP/USD are most active. Forex brokerage companies usually focus on the importance of the London session to their clients because of its large volume and potential for successful transactions.
New York Session:
The last session takes place in New York and starts at 1 PM GMT and finishes at 10 PM GMT. Traders in New York take over and continue the trading day until the London session comes to an end. The New York session is characterized by high trading volume and volatility especially when it overlaps with the London session. Trading in major currency pairs involving the US dollar like USD/CAD and USD/CHF are active during this session.
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Session Overlaps and Their Impact
Tokyo/London Overlap
The Tokyo and London sessions overlap from 8 AM to 9 AM GMT. Due to its brief duration and the shift between the Asian and European markets, this time is usually more peaceful than previous overlaps. Even yet, there may still be trading possibilities, particularly for the EUR and JPY pairs.
London/New York Overlap
The sessions in London and New York, which run from 1 PM to 5 PM GMT, overlap the most. It is the busiest and the most profitable time for traders because it is the period with the highest trading volume and volatility. Significant fluctuations frequently occur during this period in major currency pairings such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY.