- COMEX gold futures trade Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. New York time with a daily 5:00–6:00 p.m. break, so gold is quoted almost 24 hours on weekdays
- The London–New York overlap, roughly 16:00–19:30 Gulf time until 25 October 2026, is usually the most liquid window for XAU/USD
- The LBMA Gold Price auctions run at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, which is 13:30 and 18:00 Gulf time until 25 October and 14:30 and 19:00 afterwards
- UK clocks go back on 25 October 2026 and US clocks on 1 November 2026, so Gulf and UTC times for gold sessions and US data move one hour later
- US data at 8:30 a.m. ET, such as the 2 October jobs report and the 14 October CPI, lands at 16:30 Gulf time before 1 November and 17:30 after
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Gold context (29 September 2026): spot gold traded around $4,125/oz after falling to $4,111 on 28 September, its lowest since 5 August, as US yields jumped after the Federal Reserve's 16 September rate hike. Session timing matters more than usual when daily ranges are this wide. Verify the live quote before trading.
Gold market snapshot — 29 September 2026#
| Item | Figure (dated) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spot XAU/USD | ≈ $4,125/oz (29 Sep, 01:40 GMT print $4,124.57) | Reuters via WAM |
| Record high | ≈ $5,589/oz (28 Jan 2026) | Kitco |
| 2025 close and 2026 YTD | $4,368 (LBMA PM, 31 Dec 2025); ≈ −5.6% YTD | WGC / calculation |
| Fed funds target | 3.75%–4.00% after 25 bp hike on 16 Sep 2026 | Federal Reserve |
| Next US events | NFP 2 Oct; CPI 14 Oct; FOMC 27–28 Oct | BLS / Federal Reserve |
| Central-bank buying | 345 t in H1 2026 | WGC Q2 2026 |
| Gold ETF holdings | Record 4,189 t (end-August 2026) | WGC |
Prices and yields move every minute. Verify live before trading.
When does gold trade? The official hours#
Short Answer
Gold trades almost around the clock on weekdays. COMEX gold futures on CME Globex run from Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. New York time (ET), with a 60-minute daily break from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET. Spot XAU/USD CFDs at retail brokers usually follow a similar rhythm set by each broker's server clock.
Detailed Explanation
Three clocks shape XAU/USD:
- CME Globex (COMEX futures) — the main price-discovery venue for gold futures. Its schedule is published by CME Group.
- LBMA Gold Price auctions — administered by ICE Benchmark Administration at 10:30 and 15:00 London time. The auction result is a reference price used by miners, refiners, central banks and many contracts, and activity often clusters around it.
- Your broker's server time — retail XAU/USD CFD hours, the daily break and holiday closures follow the broker's own schedule. Many brokers align the daily candle close with 5:00 p.m. New York time, but that is a convention, not a rule.
| Event | New York (ET) | London | UTC | Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMEX week opens | Sun 6:00 p.m. | — | Sun 22:00 | Mon 02:00 |
| COMEX daily break | 5:00–6:00 p.m. | — | 21:00–22:00 | 01:00–02:00 |
| COMEX week closes | Fri 5:00 p.m. | — | Fri 21:00 | Sat 01:00 |
| LBMA Gold Price AM | 5:30 a.m. | 10:30 | 09:30 | 13:30 |
| LBMA Gold Price PM | 10:00 a.m. | 15:00 | 14:00 | 18:00 |
The table shows the schedule valid until 25 October 2026, while London is on BST (UTC+1) and New York on EDT (UTC−4). See the clock-change section below for what moves after that.
Example
A trader in Dubai opens MT5 at 01:30 on a Wednesday and sees a frozen XAU/USD chart or a very wide spread. Nothing is broken: 01:30 Gulf time is inside the 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET daily break (01:00–02:00 GST) until 1 November 2026. Quotes normally resume at 02:00 GST.
Common Mistake
Assuming "gold trades 24 hours" means every hour is equally tradable. The daily break, the Sunday open and the Friday close often come with thin liquidity, gaps and wide spreads.
Professional Tip
Open your platform's contract specification for XAU/USD (in MT4/MT5: right-click the symbol, then Specification) and write down the broker's session hours in your own local time. Do this again after each clock change.
Daylight-saving changes in October and November 2026#
Short Answer
UK clocks go back one hour on Sunday 25 October 2026 (BST ends) and US clocks go back one hour on Sunday 1 November 2026 (EDT ends). Gulf Standard Time does not change, so for Gulf traders London-based events move one hour later from 25 October and New York-based events move one hour later from 1 November.
Detailed Explanation
For one week, 25 October to 1 November 2026, London is on GMT while New York is still on EDT, so the usual five-hour gap between the two cities shrinks to four hours. That week catches many traders out: the LBMA auctions have shifted but US data releases have not.
| Event | Until 25 Oct 2026 (GST) | 25 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 (GST) | After 1 Nov 2026 (GST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMEX daily break (5–6 p.m. ET) | 01:00–02:00 | 01:00–02:00 | 02:00–03:00 |
| COMEX week opens (Sun 6 p.m. ET) | Mon 02:00 | Mon 02:00 | Mon 03:00 |
| LBMA AM auction (10:30 London) | 13:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 |
| LBMA PM auction (15:00 London) | 18:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
| US data at 8:30 a.m. ET (CPI, NFP) | 16:30 | 16:30 | 17:30 |
| FOMC statement (normally 2:00 p.m. ET) | 22:00 | 22:00 (28 Oct) | 23:00 (9 Dec) |
In UTC terms: COMEX events move one hour later in UTC after 1 November, and LBMA auctions move one hour later in UTC after 25 October (10:30 and 15:00 UTC while London is on GMT).
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain use UTC+3, so subtract one hour from every Gulf Standard Time figure above. If you trade from another country, convert from UTC and check whether your own country changes its clocks.
Example
The FOMC decision after the 27–28 October 2026 meeting is normally published at 2:00 p.m. ET. On 28 October the US is still on EDT, so that is 18:00 UTC and 22:00 Gulf time (21:00 Riyadh). The 9 December decision falls after the US change, so it is 19:00 UTC and 23:00 Gulf time.
Common Mistake
Updating your alarms on 25 October for the UK change and assuming US data also moved. Between 25 October and 1 November, US releases still arrive at 16:30 Gulf time.
Professional Tip
Put the two dates, 25 October and 1 November 2026, in your trading calendar as "re-check session times" reminders. Use the economic calendar with your time zone set explicitly rather than relying on memory.
Main XAU/USD sessions and how gold behaves in each#
Short Answer
Gold is usually quietest in the Asian session, becomes more directional after London opens, and is most liquid and volatile during the London–New York overlap, when US data and US yields drive the dollar.
Detailed Explanation
Session boundaries are conventions, not exchange rules. The table uses common approximations: London about 08:00–16:30 London time and New York about 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET.
| Session | Gulf time until 25 Oct 2026 | Gulf time after 1 Nov 2026 | Typical gold behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian (Tokyo, no DST) | about 04:00–13:00 | about 04:00–13:00 | Often quieter; can move on China demand headlines, risk sentiment or overnight Fed commentary |
| London | about 11:00–19:30 | about 12:00–20:30 | Liquidity improves; LBMA AM auction; levels from Asia get tested |
| New York | about 16:00–01:00 | about 17:00–02:00 | US data, Treasury yields and dollar moves dominate |
| London–New York overlap | about 16:00–19:30 | about 17:00–20:30 | Usually the deepest liquidity and the tightest spreads |
| Daily break and rollover | 01:00–02:00 | 02:00–03:00 | Spreads widen; short-term signals less reliable |
For the Asian window in more depth, see our Asian session trading guide.
Example
On 28 September 2026 gold fell about 4% intraday to $4,111 as Treasury yields surged and markets priced more Fed hikes (Reuters). A move of that size is most dangerous for traders holding oversized positions through the New York session, when yield moves feed straight into the dollar and gold.
Common Mistake
Scalping the Asian session with the same stop and target you use in the overlap. Lower liquidity can mean smaller moves but proportionally wider spreads.
Professional Tip
Keep a simple log of your XAU/USD spread at three fixed times each day (for example 05:00, 12:00 and 17:00 Gulf time) for two weeks. Your own data is more useful than any generic session chart.
News events that move gold#
Short Answer
The US releases that move XAU/USD most are CPI, the monthly jobs report (NFP) and FOMC decisions, because they change expectations for US interest rates, real yields and the dollar. The next three are NFP on 2 October, CPI on 14 October and the FOMC decision on 28 October 2026.
Detailed Explanation
On 16 September 2026 the Federal Reserve raised its target range by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4.00%, its first hike since 2023. August CPI (released 11 September) showed headline inflation at 3.4% year on year and core at 2.4%. The US 10-year Treasury yield was around 5.2% on 28 September, its highest since 2007. Higher yields raise the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset such as gold, which is why US data now carries extra weight for XAU/USD.
| Upcoming event | Date | New York time | Gulf time |
|---|---|---|---|
| US jobs report (September data) | Fri 2 Oct 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 16:30 |
| US CPI (September data) | Wed 14 Oct 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 16:30 |
| FOMC decision | Wed 28 Oct 2026 | normally 2:00 p.m. | 22:00 |
| US jobs report | Fri 6 Nov 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 17:30 |
| US jobs report | Fri 4 Dec 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 17:30 |
| FOMC decision | Wed 9 Dec 2026 | normally 2:00 p.m. | 23:00 |
Other drivers to watch: Fed speeches, the dollar index, oil prices (Brent was near $106–107 on 28 September amid the US–Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz standoff) and geopolitical headlines. For a full playbook, read XAU/USD news trading around CPI, NFP and FOMC.
Example
A trader holds 0.10 lot of XAU/USD (10 oz, about $41,250 notional at $4,125) into the 14 October CPI release with a $10 stop. If slippage fills the stop $6 worse, the loss becomes $16 × $10 = $160 instead of the planned $100.
Common Mistake
Entering in the first seconds after the release. Spreads are often at their widest and fills are least predictable.
Professional Tip
If you are new, watch at least three CPI or NFP releases on a demo account and record the spread and the first five-minute range before trading one live.
Best time to trade gold by strategy#
Short Answer
Scalpers should use the London–New York overlap; intraday breakout traders the London open and US data windows; swing traders should care less about the hour and more about the daily close and the 4-hour structure.
Detailed Explanation
| Strategy | Better timing | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gold scalping | London–New York overlap | Tightest spreads, most volume |
| Intraday breakout | London open, US data windows | Range expansion after quiet Asia |
| Support/resistance reactions | Active sessions after a clear level forms | Levels need participation to hold or break |
| Swing trading | Daily close, 4H structure | Session noise matters less |
| News trading | Only with tested rules | Slippage and spread risk |
For level-based entries see gold support and resistance, and for fast entries our gold scalping strategy.
Example
Illustrative levels only: if gold spent the Asian session between $4,100 and $4,150, a breakout trader might wait for London to test either edge rather than trading the middle of the range at 06:00 Gulf time.
Common Mistake
Choosing a session because it fits your daily routine, then forcing a strategy that needs more liquidity than that session offers.
Professional Tip
Match your strategy to the session you can actually watch. If you can only trade from 21:00 Gulf time, a slower 4-hour strategy usually fits better than scalping.
When to avoid XAU/USD#
Short Answer
Be most careful during the 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET daily break and rollover, the seconds around major US releases, late Friday, the Sunday open, holidays and whenever the spread is wider than your target.
Detailed Explanation
Spread cost scales with position size. At $4,125, one standard lot is 100 oz and every $1 move is worth $100. A spread of $0.40 therefore costs $40 per lot, $4 on 0.10 lot and $0.40 on 0.01 lot, before commission or swap. A strategy with a $0.30 target cannot survive a $0.40 spread.
Example
A trader targets $0.30 per trade on 0.10 lot ($3 gross). If the spread widens to $0.40 near rollover, each trade starts $4 behind, so even a winning trade can close at a loss.
Common Mistake
Holding tight stop orders through the Friday close. The Sunday open can gap past the stop.
Professional Tip
Know your broker's holiday schedule. US holidays such as Thanksgiving (26 November 2026) usually bring shortened or thin sessions; check the CME holiday calendar and your broker's notices for exact hours.
Checklist before trading gold at any hour#
- Confirm the XAU/USD session, daily break and holiday hours in your platform's contract specification.
- Convert the session to your local time and re-check after 25 October and 1 November 2026.
- Check the economic calendar for CPI, NFP, FOMC and Fed speakers.
- Compare the live spread with your stop and target.
- Size the trade so the stop loss equals your planned cash risk (see our gold lot size calculation guide).
- Avoid opening new trades during the daily break and rollover.
- Decide in advance whether you will hold through the weekend.
Glossary#
- XAU/USD: the price of one troy ounce of gold (31.1034768 g) in US dollars.
- COMEX: the CME Group exchange where the main gold futures contract trades.
- CME Globex: CME Group's electronic trading platform.
- LBMA Gold Price: the twice-daily benchmark set by auction at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, administered by ICE Benchmark Administration.
- Rollover: the daily moment when open CFD positions are carried to the next trading day and swap is charged or credited.
- Server time: the clock your broker uses for candles, sessions and rollover.
- GST: Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, used in the UAE and Oman, with no daylight saving.
- Overlap: the hours when both London and New York are open.
Related gold guides#
- Complete XAU/USD gold trading guide (pillar guide)
- Gold price today: live XAU/USD and price per gram
- Gold, the Fed, the dollar and central banks in 2026
- Lowest-spread brokers for XAU/USD scalping
- XM Gold 24/7 weekend gold trading guide
Bottom line#
The best time to trade XAU/USD is usually when liquidity and movement suit your strategy, which for most active traders means the London–New York overlap. In late 2026, remember the two clock changes on 25 October and 1 November, and check spread, news, slippage and your broker's session hours before risking money.
Risk warning: Gold CFDs are leveraged products and can lead to rapid losses. A good session can create opportunity, but it can also make losses faster if your lot size is too large. This article is educational and is not investment advice.
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