The various world financial centres rotate according to the main continents’ time difference. It may be relevant to know these times for certain operations in the CFDs or Forex markets as well as follow the economic statistics of the country’s financial centre.
In addition to knowing the stock exchange’s opening and closing times and forex schedules, a trader should also know which are the most interesting days or months for online trading on different stock markets. It is therefore useful to have a presentation of the main stock exchanges’ schedules, the listing schedule for the currency market as well as the ideal months and days for online trade and investment.
The foreign exchange market is open 24 hours a day except on weekends and bank holidays, unlike stock markets which are only accessible on a specific time slot for each stock exchange. Here are some of the opening and closing times for various financial centres in local time:
On the European continent: Euronext (Paris, Brussels) from 9am to 5.30pm, London Stock Exchange from 9am to 5.30pm, Frankfurt Stock Exchange from 9am to 5.30pm, Madrid Stock Exchange from 9am to 5.30pm, Milan Stock Exchange from 9am to 5.30 pm.
On the American and Asian continents: New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from 9:30am to 4pm, Bovespa (Sao Paulo Stock Exchange) from 10am to 5pm, Tokyo Stock Exchange from 9am to 11am and from 1pm to 3pm, Shanghai Stock Exchange from 9:30am to 11:30am and from 1pm to 3pm, Hong Kong from 10am to 12:30pm and from 2:30pm to 4pm and Singapore Exchange from 9am to 5pm.
The Forex market is more available as it remains open five days a week, 24 hours a day, from Sunday evening at 10pm to Friday at 9pm (London time).
It is important to take into consideration that spreads increase before the Forex closes on Friday evening and when it opens on Sunday evening. There is less liquidity on the market during this period. The international currency market operates in multiple time zones and remains accessible at any time of the day, anywhere in the world, since it is not a centralized market, but a network of exchanges and brokers spread around the world. CFDs can be traded without any interruption but the largest volume occurs during the main trading sessions.
As a trader, it is essential to bear this in mind. While it may seem obvious, the ideal financial place is not necessarily in one’s country of residence and depends on one’s personal schedule and availability.
For example, the US session may present the best opportunities for active people who wish to trade after hours. The Asian session may be of more interest to people who sleep lightly or need very few hours of rest.
Over a full week, a trader must know that Monday is usually a quiet day, unless there is an exceptional event. Market volatility increases on Tuesday and often falls again on Wednesday, while Thursday and Friday are the most volatile days of the week.
