Open a forex account and enjoy a 24hr Forex Trading experience. Currencies are traded 24 hours a day, from Sunday afternoon EST* (Eastern Standard Time) to Friday afternoon EST. Through this 5+ day week of market activity, there is always at least one financial center open for business. Indeed, as some markets close for the night, others open somewhere else on the planet. Since forex trading hours overlap, currencies are being traded continuously. In other words, forex practically never stops.
Traders new to the world of foreign exchange tend to think that since the market is open 24 hours a day, they may trade whenever they choose during the day. Although this preconceived idea is actually true, it needs to be clarified. Indeed when it comes to forex trading hours, some hours present better opportunities than others. By better opportunities, we mean of course potentially greater profit. So what are the most suitable forex trading hours and why?
Usually, the best time to enter forex markets is when large volumes of currencies are traded. At those hours, traders can take full advantage of forex benefits. Since the forex market is traded 24 hours a day, the best time to enter is when several countries are trading at the same time. In each time zone across the world, forex markets operate from 8 am to 4 pm. So, to take advantage of heavy trading volume, the best is to look at when forex market hours in different countries overlap. Those hours are usually the time when the forex market is the most active and has thus the largest volume of trades and the biggest pip movements. It is when currencies are the most active that traders have a better chance of making some profit. Slow markets offer little chances of profit and therefore, forex traders usually stay out of them. When do forex trading times overlap?