Best Futures Trading Hours and Which Ones to Avoid

Futures markets are open almost 24 hours a solar day, five days a week.

This provides traders an opportunity to trade around the clock globally.

Still, not all hours are the same.

There are optimal times to trade and other times y'all should avert if you want to take success in this business organisation.

Just similar any market, finding the nigh opportunistic times and areas to merchandise volition keep you lot in the trading world for longer.

It will besides help yous with your psychology and mindset in the long run.

In this article, I'd like to share the all-time futures trading hours and which ones to avert for the nigh pop futures contracts.

Futures Trading Hours – Equity Indices

United States disinterestedness index futures trade around the clock, with only a i hour and 15 infinitesimal, suspension each day.

Futures open for trade on Sun of each week at 6PM EST.

The tabular array below shows the minimal increment of movement for each contract, this is called a tick.  But fear not, it volition non give you lime disease.

On the third cavalcade, you will see the resulting profit or loss from a one tick move. The symbols you see are the East-mini equity futures.

Since May, 2019, the E-mini Micro contract was included.

The equity Micro contracts are available for all the contracts yous meet beneath, the symbol is a simple change.

All you add is "Grand" before each symbol. The $/Tick is simply divided by x for the Micro from the Mini.

For instance, in the tabular array below the ES moves $12.50 per tick, while the Micro (MES) moves $ane.25 per tick.

This gives new traders the opportunity to dive into the equity markets risking a small-scale amount of capital letter to larn. For more than information on the Micros click here.

2nd final cavalcade shows you the electronic session trading.

The last column shows the only time of twenty-four hours when futures are halted for trading.

On Fri of each week, the market closes at 5PM EST and will not re-open until Lord's day at 6PM EST.

For the residue of this post, I volition refer to times in the EST time zone.

Best Futures Trading Hours Futures Trading Equity Index Hours

All-time Futures Trading Hours in Equity Index Futures

To understand the best futures trading hours, you first need to understand the ii separate trading sessions.

Session i is the morning overlap. Session 2 is the US afternoon going into the close.

Let's look into each more than closely.

The Best Futures Trading Hours in the Morning Session:

  • 9:thirty AM – the markets open for US session trading
  • 11:xxx AM – European equity markets closed for trading
  • 9:xxx – 11:30 AM is the near liquid session and is called the Usa and EUR "overlap"
  • European traders need to close their positions at the close, forcing an increase in volume
  • These are the hours yous will have the most opportunity in the morning time

A large bulk of volume flows into the futures market place during these hours. However, this can extend to 1:00 PM each twenty-four hours.

This is when the futures market is moving the quickest and a plethora of opportunity surrounds traders.

Market structure is clear and a lot of volume flooding in makes order flow a very useful and assisting tool.

At TRADEPRO Academy we use these hours to trade specifically for these reasons.

It is possible to brand a very skillful total-time income in but hours in the futures markets. There is no need to sit in front of the figurer for hours on end looking for opportunity.

During these two hours, the majority of the volume is traded on an hourly basis on the session.

The volume moves price, and this volume helps the opportunity menstruation in the market place.

Not to mention during these times a lot of news comes out of the US which helps more volume and volatility come in the markets. Again, more opportunity.

The Best Futures Trading Hours in the Afternoon Session:

  • 2:00 PM – institutional and professional trading volume picks upwardly
  • four:00 PM – market on close orders are processed (MOCs) and US closes officially
  • 2:00 – 4:00 PM is the most liquid office of the afternoon equally professional traders balance their books into the close
  • This time zone can exist tricky to trade, despite having high book
  • Lots of head fakes can happen in this time stretch, only you volition take plenty of movement
  • Keep a tight stop and follow the guild menses closely during this time frame

Recently, the Russell 2000 Index has been brought back to CME for trading.

The afternoon session also holds a lot of opportunities subsequently the big traders come back from luncheon. At that place is book that comes into the markets after ii:00 PM.

Withal, it tin can be a little slower than the morn session. There is caution around the close of the session as large money closes positions, opens news ones.

Long story short in the last twenty minutes or so into 4:00 PM markets get crazy.

The afternoon session usually has news that drops, especially in 2018-2019 throughout the Merchandise Deal with China and the U.s.. Also the Fed and FOMC meetings.

Evening Trading Hours

Since futures trading is open effectually the clock, in that location is an evening session that holds decent volume, movement and opportunity.

This is the perfect session for traders that are located in different time zones and can only access futures trading in the wee hours of the night.

Just similar ane of TRADEPRO's finest, David who managed to turn his $700 business relationship into $6,500 and counting, nearing the 6 effigy marking now. Click here for more info.

The London session overlaps with the Asian session, opening at two:00 AM. Throughout the dark there may non exist as much volume or crazy volatility but there is an opportunity.

There is news out of Asian markets, such as Mainland china that drops as well as presenting traders with news-driven trading.

Futures Trading Hours – Energy

Energy products have been extremely volatile since oil prices complanate in July of 2008 from their all time highs.

The free energy markets have not made a recovery since.  Since OPEC countries have decided to implement production cuts and quotas, the market place has been susceptible to price swings and volatiltiy.

This increased volatility has led to some amazing trading opportunities and a nifty market for day trading.

In the table below, you will run across identical data to in a higher place.

Noticeable differences are the halt. Energy products stop trading at 5PM and re-open daily at 6PM EST.

Energy-Futures-Trading-Hours U.s.a. Futures Trading Hours – Energy Products

The Best Futures Trading Hours in Energy:

  • CL opens for trading on the floor, called the pit session at 9AM EST
  • European trading closes at 11:xxx AM EST
  • The best hours for trading are the about liquid, between 9:00AM and xi:30AM
  • Pit session closes at ii:30PM EST, when floor trading stops for the day
  • Therefore, the best trading in the afternoon is the last hr between i:30PM to 2:30PM EST
  • Lots of institutional money is closing out positions and re-balancing their books during this stretch

On Wed, in the crude oil market place, starting at 10:thirty AM, the crude oil inventory report comes out.

This written report presents traders with the opportunity to make their monthly target in just 30 minutes of trading. This is the nigh opportunistic fourth dimension to merchandise the oil marketplace.

Anyone tin spare xxx minutes, once a week. With motility potentials of over a dollar in oil, which is $10 per cent of movement.

Traders can make the most of this opportunity. Click here for more Crude Oil inventory info.

Best Futures Trading Hours – Conclusion

When yous are twenty-four hour period trading you want to be in position to exist nowadays during the all-time futures trading hours.

The more than volume and liquidity present in the marketplace, the more than opportunity you lot will have to capitalize.

At present you know what hours you lot have to be available, and ofttimes time just the forenoon session is enough to extract a full time income from the market.

Imagine making more money than your current full time job while only working 2 hours every day?

That'due south the benefit of knowing and using the best futures trading hours to your do good.

Expert luck and proficient trading.

Larn to day trade futures like the PROs, and join the states in our live trading room to experience the TRADEPRO edge with our team.

The information independent in this post is solely for educational purposes, and does not constitute investment advice. The hazard of trading in securities markets can exist substantial. You should advisedly consider if engaging in such action is suitable to your own financial situation. TRADEPRO University is not responsible for any liabilities arising as a result of your marketplace interest or individual merchandise activities.