Gold trades almost 24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday evening, but it doesn't move the same all day. Most of the volume — and most of the clean setups — come during the London and New York sessions.
The three sessions (approximate, UTC)
- Asia: roughly 23:00–07:00. Often slower, and it builds the range that later gets swept.
- London: roughly 07:00–16:00. Volume picks up fast; the Asian high or low is often swept early.
- New York: roughly 12:00–21:00. US data releases land here and can move gold sharply.
Exact times shift by an hour when clocks change in Europe and the US, so check a session clock for your time zone.
The London–New York overlap
The hours when both London and New York are open are usually the most active of the day. That brings bigger moves and tighter spreads — and also faster losses if you're careless.
When to be careful
- Around major US news (inflation, jobs reports, rate decisions): spreads widen and price can spike both ways.
- Around the daily rollover (around 21:00–22:00 UTC): spreads on gold often widen sharply.
- Friday evening: liquidity dries up before the weekend close.
Check the economic calendar every morning before you trade. Our dashboard shows it next to the daily odds.