When you start trading in the Forex market, you realize the importance of Forex market hours. It refers to the time period during which participants get the opportunity to carry out transactions in the foreign exchange market. Visit multibank group
In a Forex market, you can trade 24 hours a day but you must make a note of the fact that the market doesn’t remain operational during the weekends. This particular market is decentralized and governed by domestic sessions carried out in markets like Sydney, London, Tokyo and New York.
The trading volume in two different sessions could be vastly different from each other. The highest trading volume is registered when the New York and London sessions overlap. The foreign exchange rate, which is set as a benchmark for regular evaluation and setting prices for pension funds and money managers, is scheduled at 4 p.m. London time.
Getting an Understanding of Forex Market Hours
Forex market hours can also be described as the schedule which is followed by Forex market participants to carry out several important activities including buying, selling, speculating and exchanging currencies in different markets.
The Forex market opens its doors to traders at 5 p.m. on Sunday in New York. It remains operational till Friday at 5 p.m. The market remains shut for 48 hours before it opens up again for traders to embark upon their trading activities in a new week. However, by the time an individual resumes their trading activities, the trading conditions might have undergone massive changes.
International Currency Markets
Even if you are a novice trader, you are expected to have some knowledge about the international currency markets. These markets comprise of central banks, private banks, investment management firms, commercial companies, retail forex brokers and hedge funds. Since this market remains operational in different time zones, a trader can access it at any given point in time.
Contrary to what some people believe, the international currency market is not driven by a single market exchange. It features a global exchange market that brings brokers from different parts of the world onto a single platform.
When you study Forex market trading hours, you have to check when trading activities commence in different countries. Though it is common to see time period overlapping, there are certain ‘time windows’ that are considered to be most suitable for Forex trading.
In New York, the best time to trade is between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The most appropriate hour to trade in Tokyo is between 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. and 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. is the best trading hour in London. If you are trading in Sydney, you should get things moving between 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.
When you are a Forex trader, you should know the significance behind different trading hours. While most time zones remain busy at all times, you will see the highest amount of activity taking place in New York and London. These two time zones account for a very high volume of trade every day.
During the busiest periods of the day, the benchmark spot foreign exchange rate is figured out. 4 p.m. London local time is the standard rate that helps in daily valuation processes.
Benefits of Trading in a 24-Hour Forex Market
A market, that remains functional, throws up a set of opportunities and challenges at the same time. One of the biggest advantages of trading in a 24-hour Forex market is that gives you all-day access to the market so that you can trade at any given point in time.
It also offers you a guarantee of liquidity. While you can trade currencies throughout the day, it is not possible for a trader to monitor the market for 24 hours at a stretch. This is one of the reasons why you need to choose certain hours during which you want to trade.
As a trader, you should mull over missed opportunities. Because of the nature of the Forex market, you will keep missing out on good opportunities every now and then. On a particular day, the market could get extremely volatile when you are sleeping and that’s all right.
If you plan your moves carefully, you can make a lot of profit while trading during peak activity sessions which happen to be the Asian, North American and European sessions. Tokyo, New York and London are the three cities that serve as a representation of the important financial centers in these regions.
Needless to say, the market tends to be the most volatile or active when business is being conducted in the aforementioned centers. When banks and financial institutions carry out transactions, it reflects in the Forex market as well. Around this time, a large number of speculators carry out trading activities in the market.
What Traders Need To Make a Note Of
Though it would not be wrong to describe the Forex market as a market that remains open 24 hours a day, there are a few things you need to be mindful of. In a bunch of emerging markets, currencies are traded throughout the day.
Across the world, the most traded currencies happen to be the U.S. dollar, Japanese yen, euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and Australian dollar. These currencies are traded around frequently when the market is open. Investors or speculators make pairs out of these seven currencies and trade with them.
When trading volume is a little heavy, one can see Forex brokers offering tighter spreads or ask and bid prices that are very close to each other. That helps them in controlling the transaction costs. While institutional traders look for higher trading volume, they tend to accept wider spreads if there is an opportunity to start trading early.
Many individuals feel skeptical about stepping into the Forex market because of its decentralized system. However, once you get into it, you realize all the different mechanisms work smoothly and very efficiently. It offers solid access to those who want to engage in speculative trading from any corner of the world.
