Futures Trading Hours: When Can You Trade During the Day? (2024)

Do you know what the futures trading hours are? If you’ve been trading for any time, you know regular market hours are 9:30-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. But what about the Future? Are their hours different from regular market hours? The answer is yes! Which will make the future great for people who work full-time.

When it comes to futures trading hours, it’s important to note that the specific trading hours can vary depending on the exchange and the type of futures contract traded. For example, the trading hours of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), one of the largest futures exchanges, vary based on the product and time of year.

Futures Trading Hours: When Can You Trade During the Day? (1)

Futures Trading Course

In this course, you’ll learn how to set up your charts, margin requirements, COT report, indicators, the most popular trading strategies, and prepare for live futures trading action.

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Table of Contents

  • What Are the Futures Trading Hours?
    • Futures Trading Hours Basics
    • Futures Trading Hours /ES Example
  • Equity Indices
    • Evening Hours
    • Futures /CL Chart
    • Energy Indices
  • Benefits of Trading Futures Overnight
    • 1. Access to Global Markets
    • 2. Volatility and Liquidity
    • 3. Reduced Competition
    • 4. First to React to the News
    • 6. Risks of Overnight Futures Trading
    • 5. Diversification of Trading Strategies
    • Final Thoughts: Futures Trading Hours
  • Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Futures Trading Hours?

Futures allow you to diversify your portfolio while gaining exposure to new markets. If you are a day trader, then futures are a great option because you can trade at nearly any time of the day. Investors can trade over 70 futures products virtually 24 hours a day, six days a week. Each specific exchange has its opening and closing times. However, not all hours are optimal.

For those who live in time zones where the NYSE opens at a cringe-worthy hour, futures could solve your problem. If you can’t drag yourself out of bed in the morning, have you considered trading futures overnight hours? Your dreams just may have come true as futures trade throughout the night.

Futures Trading Hours Basics

Trading hours are in U.S. Central Time unless otherwise stated.

The general hours for the various exchanges of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) are as follows:

CME and CBT products submitted via CME ClearPort Clearing, the hours are: Sunday 5:00 p.m. – Friday 5:45 p.m. CST with no reporting Monday – Thursday 5:45 p.m.–6:00 p.m. CST

For CME OTC FX products submitted via CME ClearPort Clearing, the hours are Sunday 6:00 p.m. – Friday 5:45 p.m. CST with no reporting Monday – Thursday 5:45 p.m.–6:00 p.m. CST.

NYMEX and COMEX products submitted via CME ClearPort Clearing, the hours are: Sunday 5:00 p.m. – Friday 4:00 p.m. CST with no reporting Monday – Thursday 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. CST

When trading, you want to be in a position with more market volume and liquidity. This leads to more opportunities to capitalize.

The great thing about futures is the ability to trade after hours. Make sure you can identify and trade evening star patterns. Candlesticks and patterns are super important. As a result, if you know how to find and trade them, you can trade Futures any time of day. And with success!

Futures Trading Hours /ES Example

Futures Trading Hours: When Can You Trade During the Day? (3)

This is a weekly chart of /ES. Notice the Fibonacci retracement levels. In this example, the price currently trades at the 100% level. It’s at the top of a rising wedge pattern, showing the near resistance, and might be looking to pull back. It’s important to map out important support and resistance levels on the large time frames before zooming in on the charts and day trading futures.

Equity Indices

United States equity index futures trade around the clock, with a one-hour and fifteen-minute break each day. Understanding the best equity means understanding two separate trading sessions. The morning overlap is session one, and the U.S. going into the close is session two.

Morning Overlap Session all CST:

  • 8:30 AM – the markets open for U.S. session trading
  • 10:30 AM – European equity markets closed for trading
  • 8:30 – 10:30 AM is the most liquid session and is called the U.S. and EUR “overlap.” this can extend to noon daily.
  • European traders will close their positions, forcing an increase in the volume.

Afternoon Closing Session:

  • 1:00 PM – institutional/professional trading volume picks up
  • 3:00 PM – market on close orders are processed (MOCs), and the U.S. closes officially
  • 1:00 – 3:00 PM is the most liquid part of the afternoon as professional traders balance their books into the close, the last 20 minutes or so into 3:00 PM, the highest volume

Evening Hours

For night owls, there is an evening session with decent volume and opportunity when the London session overlaps with the Asian session, from 1:00 AM. If news is out of Asian markets, such as China, volume will increase. Please take our futures trading course to learn how to trade during evening hours.

Futures /CL Chart

Futures Trading Hours: When Can You Trade During the Day? (4)

This is a weekly chart example of /CL. Notice that price is currently trading at the 23.6% fibonnaci retracement level and is forming a base. It’s possible that it might be forming a double bottom pattern. Also a potential following wedge. If price reverses and goes bullish then look for resistance between $90-$100.

Energy Indices

Energy has a similar overlap and closing pattern of high volatility. Understanding how sectors and indices work is important, especially if you buy and sell during the day.

Energy Overlap and US Closing:

  • CL opens its “pit session” at 8 AM CST
  • European trading closes at 10:30 AM CST
  • Most liquid, between 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM
  • The pit session closes at 1:30 PM CST; floor trading stops for the day
  • Best trading is the last hour between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM CST when institution positions are closed

Benefits of Trading Futures Overnight

1. Access to Global Markets

Trading futures overnight allows traders to trade in different markets in different time zones worldwide. The world is truly at your fingertips. More importantly, this can give you the advantage over others still in bed as you’re the first to hear about news and events in other regions. Why is this important? For starters, geopolitical developments or economic announcements can significantly impact the market. For example, awake traders can react immediately if important news comes from Asia or Europe overnight.

2. Volatility and Liquidity

As you know, volatility and liquidity are the bread and butter for day traders—or, in this case, “night traders.” Overnight futures markets can differ in volatility and liquidity compared to regular trading hours. For example, low trading volume through the night can sometimes cause increased price movements. As you know, large price movements can be opportunities to make money. Traders with the knowledge and expertise to handle market gaps and volatility can make a pretty penny during these hours.

3. Reduced Competition

Because other traders are in Slumberland, you can execute your trades with less slippage and tighter bid-ask spreads. Try it out; you never know if overnight futures trading is the pivot you need.

4. First to React to the News

Overnight futures trading allows traders to take any overnight news and events and use them to their advantage. Traders can react quickly to market-moving information by monitoring global news and economic releases outside regular trading hours. This could help them take advantage of price movements during overnight sessions.

6. Risks of Overnight Futures Trading

It’s important to note that trading during overnight hours also carries certain risks. Lower liquidity, wider bid-ask spreads, and potentially higher volatility are a double-edged sword. For those inexperienced with these conditions, you could find yourself quickly blowing up your account. However, you can easily prevent this scenario if you take the time to educate yourself, practice in simulators, and learn from the best.

5. Diversification of Trading Strategies

Some traders use specific overnight strategies better suited to nighttime market conditions. For example, mean-reversion or trend-following strategies may work differently during overnight sessions compared to regular trading hours. By diversifying their trading strategies across different timeframes, traders can capitalize on a broader range of market movements.

Final Thoughts: Futures Trading Hours

Volume means more opportunity. Make sure to be in the market when it’s best. Therefore, keep that in mind when trading. Never put too much at risk, and as always, we wish you the best of luck with your trades.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Time Limit for Futures Trading?

Futures can be traded almost 24 hours per day. There are short pauses but traders can trade them any time, day or night. The most popular traded hours are 9:00am to 4 pm est.

What Is Dow Futures Trading Hours?

Dow futures trading hours are from 6 pm to 5 pm EST.

Do Futures Trade on Holidays?

Futures may have a modified trading session on the day of the holiday. It's important to check the schedule and product that you're looking to trade.

Are Futures Markets 24 hours?

Futures markets are able to be traded virtually 24 hours a day, 6 days per week. Each futures product has their own times to trade.

What Hours Do S&P Futures Trade?

E-mini S&P 500 futures markets are open from 6:00 pm EST to 5:00 pm EST and trade on the CME Globex platform.

Futures Trading Hours: When Can You Trade During the Day? (2024)

FAQs

Futures Trading Hours: When Can You Trade During the Day? ›

Futures markets are able to be traded virtually 24 hours a day, 6 days per week. Each futures product has their own times to trade. What Hours Do S&P Futures Trade? E-mini S&P 500 futures markets are open from 6:00 pm EST to 5:00 pm EST and trade on the CME Globex platform.

What hours of the day can you trade futures? ›

Most futures markets are open nearly 24 hours per day, from Sunday evening until Friday afternoon, but some futures products have unique trading hours. But keep in mind that each product has its own unique trading hours.

What futures can you trade after-hours? ›

The E-mini S&P 500 futures (traded under the symbol /ES on the thinkorswim® trading platform) trades on Globex, CME Group's all-electronic trading platform, and is one of the products with the highest after-hours volume.

What is the day trading rule for futures? ›

Day trading rules for futures

Pattern day trading rules do not apply to futures trading, so you can start trading without having the minimum equity of $25,000 in in your account. You can place as many trades as you like in a week without attracting pattern day trading restrictions.

What is the time limit for futures trading? ›

Yes, electronic futures trading happens almost for 24 hours. If you are trading in India, you can do it in the day time during the usual exchange hours, that is between 9:00 a.m and 5:00 p.m. Each commodity segment has separate opening and closing time.

Can I trade futures multiple times a day? ›

As a futures trader, you can express your opinion long or short multiple times a day or week and you do not have to worry about day trading restrictions applicable to equities or the ability to take a short position in the market. So why miss out on another opportunity because of restrictions? Make a move into futures.

What time of day can you trade? ›

Pre-market trading happens before the market opens. While hours may vary between brokerage firms, they can extend as early as 4 am and run until the opening bell rings at 9:30 am. After-hours trading occurs once the market closes and typically runs from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Can you trade futures outside of market hours? ›

Most futures markets are open nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week, allowing you to react to global events, hedge, and speculate on a variety of indices, commodities, and currencies to help manage your portfolio outside of U.S. stock market hours.

Can I day trade after hours? ›

Yes. After-hours trading allows for stocks to be traded after the stock market's regular hours. However, investors should be prepared for their orders to not be filled as quickly (or even at all) due to the lower trading volume during these extended market hours.

Does Vanguard allow after-hours trading? ›

Vanguard Brokerage Services' extended-hours trading offers the ability to trade all National Market System (NMS) equity securities that have not been halted both before and after the regular market session. Vanguard Brokerage generally will not accept extended-hours trading orders over the telephone.

What is the 80 20 rule in futures trading? ›

If you're not already familiar with this notion, it's called the 80/20 Rule, or the Pareto Principle. To recap, it says that 80% of the effects (in our case, one's trading success rate) come from 20% of the causes.

Do you need $25,000 to day trade futures? ›

Futures trading generally has a lower initial account opening capital requirement than stock trading. With stocks, there are day trading rules that require a trader to maintain minimum account balance of $25,000 which can be a high bar for new traders. Futures do not have a day trading capital requirement.

Is day trading futures risky? ›

Yes, it is possible to lose more money than you initially invested in futures trading. This is because futures contracts are leveraged, which means you can control a large position with a relatively small amount of investment upfront. 9 While leverage can amplify your gains, it can also magnify your losses.

How late can you trade futures? ›

Futures markets are able to be traded virtually 24 hours a day, 6 days per week. Each futures product has their own times to trade. What Hours Do S&P Futures Trade? E-mini S&P 500 futures markets are open from 6:00 pm EST to 5:00 pm EST and trade on the CME Globex platform.

How long can you keep a futures trade open? ›

Main Features of Perpetual Futures

This allows traders to keep their positions open indefinitely, without the need to close or roll over the contract. Funding rate: To keep the price of perpetual futures close to the underlying asset's spot price, a mechanism called the funding rate is used.

What are the rules of futures trading? ›

In general, there are three futures trading plans: Long: Buy futures and profit when the prices increase. Short: Sell futures contracts and profit when the prices decrease. Spread: Simultaneously buy different futures contracts and profit when the relative price difference widens (or narrows).

Can futures be sold anytime? ›

Before expiration, the futures contract—the long position—can be sold at the current price, closing the long position. Investors can also take a short speculative position if they predict the price will fall. If the price declines, the trader will take an offsetting position to close the contract.

What are the hours for futures and options trading? ›

Option Trading Hours at NSE and Option Trading Hours at BSE are same. The Normal Derivatives Trading Hours (9:15 AM to 3:30 PM) are also known as 'Continuous Trading Session'.

Do Dow futures trade 24 hours? ›

All of the Dow derived future contracts are a product of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). They expire quarterly (March, June, September, and December), and are traded on the CME Globex exchange nearly 24 hours a day, from Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon.

Can you day trade futures under 25k? ›

If your account value falls below $25,000, then any pattern day trading activities may constitute a violation. If you trade futures in a linked futures account, keep in mind that futures cash or positions do not count toward the $25,000 minimum account value.

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