The retail forex market generally opens on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), based on New York time. Some brokers, including OANDA, may start quoting prices at about 5:05 p.m. ET.
| Time zone | Typical Sunday opening |
|---|---|
| Eastern Time | 5:00 p.m. |
| Central Time | 4:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | 3:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | 2:00 p.m. |
| UTC | 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m., depending on daylight saving time |
Why Does Forex Open on Sunday?
The Sunday opening matches the start of the Sydney trading session. Trading then moves through the Tokyo, London and New York sessions, so the forex market remains open almost continuously until it closes on Friday at about 5:00 p.m. ET.
Forex has no central exchange. Brokers and liquidity providers can therefore set slightly different opening times. Check your broker's trading-hours page before placing an order.
Is the Forex Market Liquid at the Sunday Open?
Usually, liquidity is thinner immediately after the Sunday opening. That can lead to:
- Wider spreads
- Less consistent pricing
- Price gaps from Friday's close
- More slippage on market orders
- Sharper price movements
FOREX.com warns that market conditions may be illiquid at the start of the trading week.
Many traders wait for the London session or the London and New York session overlap, when trading activity is generally stronger.
Does Daylight Saving Time Change the Opening Time?
Yes. Daylight saving time changes the UTC equivalent, but the New York-time opening remains 5:00 p.m. ET.
- During Eastern Standard Time, 5:00 p.m. ET is 10:00 p.m. UTC.
- During Eastern Daylight Time, 5:00 p.m. ET is 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Your broker's platform may use its own server time, so the opening can appear at a different time from your local clock.
Bottom Line
Check your broker's schedule before placing an order. The first minutes of the trading week can bring wider spreads, price gaps and slippage.