Live monitor showing which forex trading sessions and stock exchanges are open right now. See session overlaps, local exchange hours, and find the best time to trade.
AEST (UTC+10)
The Sydney session kicks off the trading week. It is the smallest session by volume but sets the tone for the Asian session.
JST (UTC+9)
The Tokyo session is the first major session. JPY pairs see the most volatility here. About 6% of all forex volume.
GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1)
London is the largest forex trading center, handling ~43% of global volume. The most liquid and volatile session.
EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4)
New York is the second largest forex center (~17% volume). The London-New York overlap (13:00-17:00 UTC) is the most active period.
Visual overview of when each forex trading session is active throughout the day.
Session overlaps produce the highest trading volume, tightest spreads, and most significant price movements.
Asian overlap. AUD/JPY and NZD/JPY see increased activity.
Short but significant overlap as European traders enter and Asian traders close.
The most active period in forex. Over 50% of daily volume occurs here. EUR/USD, GBP/USD spreads are tightest.
Convert trading times between any timezone. Select your local timezone and enter a time to see the equivalent across all major financial centers.
Trading hours for major global stock exchanges. All times shown in UTC.
| Exchange | Location | Local Hours | UTC Hours | Market Cap | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NYSE New York Stock Exchange | 🇺🇸 New York | 09:30–16:00 | 14:30–21:00 | $25.9T | OPEN |
NASDAQ NASDAQ | 🇺🇸 New York | 09:30–16:00 | 14:30–21:00 | $21.7T | OPEN |
LSE London Stock Exchange | 🇬🇧 London | 08:00–16:30 | 08:00–16:30 | $3.4T | CLOSED |
TSE Tokyo Stock Exchange | 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 09:00–15:00 🍽️ Lunch break | 00:00–06:00 | $5.6T | CLOSED |
SSE Shanghai Stock Exchange | 🇨🇳 Shanghai | 09:30–15:00 🍽️ Lunch break | 01:30–07:00 | $6.9T | CLOSED |
HKEX Hong Kong Stock Exchange | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 09:30–16:00 🍽️ Lunch break | 01:30–08:00 | $4.2T | CLOSED |
ENX Euronext | 🇪🇺 Amsterdam | 09:00–17:30 | 08:00–16:30 | $6.5T | CLOSED |
XETRA Deutsche Börse (XETRA) | 🇩🇪 Frankfurt | 09:00–17:30 | 08:00–16:30 | $2.2T | CLOSED |
ASX Australian Securities Exchange | 🇦🇺 Sydney | 10:00–16:00 | 00:00–06:00 | $1.7T | CLOSED |
TSX Toronto Stock Exchange | 🇨🇦 Toronto | 09:30–16:00 | 14:30–21:00 | $2.6T | OPEN |
BSE Bombay Stock Exchange | 🇮🇳 Mumbai | 09:15–15:30 | 03:30–10:00 | $4.1T | CLOSED |
SIX SIX Swiss Exchange | 🇨🇭 Zurich | 09:00–17:30 | 08:00–16:30 | $1.8T | CLOSED |
The forex (foreign exchange) market is unique among financial markets because it operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Trading starts when the Sydney session opens on Sunday at 22:00 UTC and runs continuously until the New York session closes on Friday at 22:00 UTC. This is possible because forex trading is decentralized — there is no single exchange. Instead, currencies are traded through a global network of banks, institutions, and electronic platforms across different time zones.
The 24-hour trading day is divided into four major trading sessions, each named after the financial center where trading activity is concentrated: Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York. Each session has distinct characteristics in terms of volume, volatility, and the currency pairs that are most active.
While you can trade forex at any time during the trading week, not all hours are created equal. The time you choose to trade significantly impacts:
The London-New York overlap (13:00-17:00 UTC / 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST) is widely considered the best time to trade forex. During this 4-hour window, both the European and American sessions are active simultaneously, creating the highest liquidity, tightest spreads, and most significant price movements. Major currency pairs like EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF see their highest daily volume during this overlap.
For JPY pairs, the Tokyo-London overlap (08:00-09:00 UTC) and the early Tokyo session (00:00-03:00 UTC) offer the best conditions. For AUD and NZD pairs, the Sydney-Tokyo overlap (00:00-07:00 UTC) provides the most relevant price action.
Unlike forex, stock exchanges have fixed opening and closing times. Most major exchanges operate Monday through Friday, typically for 6-8 hours per day. Some exchanges, like the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) and Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), have a lunch break in the middle of the trading day — a tradition in Asian markets.
Many exchanges also have pre-market and after-hours trading sessions, though liquidity is significantly lower during these extended hours. For example, the NYSE and NASDAQ offer pre-market trading from 04:00-09:30 EST and after-hours trading from 16:00-20:00 EST.
Your broker's server location relative to your chosen trading session matters more than most traders realize. If you primarily trade during the London session, a broker with servers in the LD4 data center (London) will provide faster execution than one with servers in New York. Similarly, for Tokyo session trading, servers in Tokyo's TY3 data center offer the lowest latency.
BrokersDB tracks server infrastructure for 2,949+ brokers across 69 countries, helping you find brokers with optimal server locations for your preferred trading sessions.
Compare 2,949+ brokers with real server infrastructure data to optimize execution for your preferred trading hours.