Key points
- The London and New York overlap usually brings the most volume and the biggest moves in XAUUSD.
- The Asian session is often calmer, with smaller ranges.
- Avoid the daily rollover (around the New York close), when spreads often widen.
- Your MT5 shows broker server time, which is often not your local time and not UTC.
The gold trading day at a glance
Times below are approximate, in UTC, during the northern summer. In winter, London and New York start one hour later in UTC.
What each session is usually like
| Session | Typical character | Things to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | Calmer, smaller ranges, often sideways | Chinese and Japanese data, thin moments early in the session |
| London open | Activity and ranges increase, first breakouts of the day | The LBMA gold price is set in London at 10:30 and 15:00 London time |
| London and New York overlap | Most volume, biggest moves | US data usually at 8:30 New York time: 12:30 UTC in summer, 13:30 UTC in winter |
| Late New York | Activity fades | Fed speeches and FOMC decisions can come in the afternoon |
| Rollover | Very thin, short daily break | Spreads often widen; swaps are charged |
These are tendencies, not rules. A quiet day in New York or a busy day in Asia is normal when news or risk mood changes. Why gold moves at all is explained in what moves gold prices.
Which time suits which style
- Scalpers often prefer the London open and the overlap: more movement and usually tight spreads, but also sudden spikes at data releases.
- Range traders often like the calmer Asian hours, but must expect breakouts when London opens.
- Swing traders care less about the hour of entry, but must plan for overnight swaps and weekend gaps.
There is no single best time for everyone. Test your own method in different sessions on a demo account and keep notes; our gold scalping routine shows one way to do that.
Converting to your broker's MT5 time
MT5 shows prices and candles in broker server time. Many brokers use GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 in summer, so that the trading day starts at midnight server time. Example: with server time GMT+3, the London open at 07:00 UTC appears as 10:00 on your chart, and US data at 12:30 UTC appears as 15:30.
Daylight saving time makes it tricky: the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates, so for two to three weeks in March and for about one week around the end of October the gap between London and New York is one hour shorter than usual.
Times many traders avoid
- The minutes around the daily rollover, when spreads widen.
- The first minutes of Monday, when the price can gap.
- Late Friday, when activity drops before the weekend.
- Major holidays in the UK or the US, when markets are thin.
- The first seconds after high-impact news, when the price can jump past your stop.
The INFO tab shows your broker's time next to your own time and the difference between them, so you always know which session you are in. It also shows the current spread and the high- and medium-impact events of the next two days with a countdown. You can block new panel trades when the spread is too wide, limit the number of trades per day and pause trading after a stop loss. Take the panel tour.
Questions
What is the best time to trade gold?
Gold is usually most active during the London and New York overlap, about 12:00 to 16:00 UTC in summer and 13:00 to 17:00 UTC in winter. Whether that is best for you depends on your style and on how you handle news spikes.
Is gold traded 24 hours a day?
Almost: XAUUSD trades from Monday to Friday with a short daily break of about an hour around the New York close. Exact hours depend on your broker.
Why are gold spreads wider at night?
Around the daily rollover and in quiet hours there are fewer buyers and sellers, so brokers quote wider spreads. They usually tighten again when London opens.
Sources
- LBMA: the LBMA Gold Price
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI release information
- Federal Reserve: FOMC meeting calendar
This guide is education, not financial advice. Session behaviour changes over time, and no time of day guarantees profitable trades. Trading gold carries a high risk of loss.