Which session is gold trading in right now — and what's next. Shown in your local time ().
Gold bars are sessions; green marks the overlaps — historically the most active hours for XAU/USD.
| Event | What it is | Your time | In |
|---|
The best time to trade XAUUSD is usually the London–New York overlap, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM New York time, when both major gold markets are open and liquidity and volatility are highest. Gold trades almost 24 hours a day, from Sunday 6:00 PM to Friday 5:00 PM New York time, with a one-hour break each day at 5:00 PM.
| Session | Local hours | New York time* | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 9:00–18:00 JST | 8 PM–5 AM | Quietest; smaller ranges, often consolidation |
| London | 8:00–17:00 | 3 AM–12 PM | Volume arrives; LBMA gold auctions |
| New York | 8:00–17:00 | 8 AM–5 PM | US data at 8:30; COMEX futures most active |
| London–NY overlap | — | 8 AM–12 PM | Highest liquidity and biggest moves |
*During US daylight time. Japan doesn't use daylight saving, so Tokyo starts an hour earlier in New York time from November to March; for a few weeks in March and October/November, the US and UK change clocks on different dates. The live clock above handles all of this automatically.
Gold (XAUUSD) reopens on Sunday at 6:00 PM New York time and trades continuously until Friday at 5:00 PM, apart from a daily one-hour break from 5:00 to 6:00 PM New York time.
Nearly. XAUUSD trades about 23 hours a day, five days a week. It pauses daily from 5:00 to 6:00 PM New York time and closes from Friday 5:00 PM to Sunday 6:00 PM.
The London–New York overlap, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM New York time, is typically the most active period for XAUUSD, especially around 8:30 AM US data releases.
Major US economic data — CPI inflation, nonfarm payrolls and PCE — is released at 8:30 AM Eastern. These numbers shift expectations for Federal Reserve policy, the dollar and Treasury yields, which all drive the gold price.
See all XAUUSD trading tools or the XAUUSD signals track record.
New to this? Lesson 2: How gold trading works →
Gold analysis with the key levels to watch, sent free by email. Real-time signal alerts are coming soon as a premium option. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See every past signal →