Asian overlap
Sydney + Tokyo
The Australasian and Japanese sessions run together for several hours. AUD, NZD and JPY crosses see most of their participation here, and ranges are often narrower than in Europe.
Market hours
Global Markets. One Live Clock.
Know which financial centres are open, when sessions overlap, and what is happening in your local time.
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Currencies trade over the counter around the clock from the Sunday open to the Friday New York close, with activity rotating between four financial centres.
What's open right now
Your location
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Market hours are a general reference. Individual brokers may have different trading schedules, daily breaks, holiday hours and instrument-specific trading hours. Always check your broker's official schedule.
Live map
Where the market is trading now
Day/night shading from live UTC time
Session table
Every venue, side by side
24-hour timeline
When each session runs in your day
Session overlaps
Where the sessions meet
Asia → Europe handover
Tokyo + London
European desks arrive while Tokyo is still trading. This handover often resets the day's range as European data starts to land.
Major liquidity window
London + New York
The two largest centres are open at the same time, so this window usually carries the highest participation of the day. That can mean deeper liquidity and tighter spreads — and also sharper, faster moves.
Busier windows are not automatically better windows. More participation can bring liquidity and tighter spreads, but volatility can rise at the same time, and wider ranges can work against a position as easily as for it.
Background
Why market hours matter
There is no single exchange
Forex trades over the counter between banks, brokers and institutions worldwide. Instead of one opening bell, activity rotates between financial centres as each working day begins.
Activity shapes cost
When a centre is busy, more participants are quoting, which often means tighter spreads and easier fills. In quiet hours the same pair can trade with a wider spread and thinner depth.
News can override the clock
A central-bank decision or a major data release can spike volatility in any session, including quiet ones. Session timing is context, not a forecast.
“More active” does not mean “better”. Choosing when to trade is a personal decision that depends on your strategy, instrument and risk tolerance.
Session breakdown
The four forex sessions
Sydney
07:00 – 16:00 local (Australia/Sydney)
Major currencies
AUD · NZD
The week's first liquidity. Ranges are usually narrower and moves are often driven by Australasian data and commodity flows.
Tokyo
09:00 – 18:00 local (Asia/Tokyo)
Major currencies
JPY · AUD · NZD
Asia's main session. Yen crosses see the most participation here; Japan does not observe daylight saving, so Tokyo's clock never shifts.
London
08:00 – 16:30 local (Europe/London)
Major currencies
EUR · GBP · CHF
The largest FX centre by turnover. European data and the London fix commonly bring the day's widest participation.
New York
08:00 – 17:00 local (America/New_York)
Major currencies
USD · CAD
US releases land early in this session. Activity often thins noticeably after the London close.
