Markets
The best time to trade futures (and the times to avoid)
Most of the day's clean moves happen in a few short windows. Trading outside them mostly means paying commissions to chop.
Best windows (New York time)
| Window | Time (ET) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| London open | 02:00–05:00 | Asia range gets raided, first real move of the day |
| US data | 08:30 | CPI, NFP, jobless claims — volatility, often a sweep |
| NY open | 09:30–11:00 | Highest volume, session sweeps and reversals |
| Silver Bullet | 10:00–11:00 | Time-boxed ICT window for one clean setup |
| PM session | 13:30–15:00 | Secondary trend leg, lower volume |
Times to avoid
- Lunch, roughly 11:30–13:30 ET — low volume, false breaks.
- Minutes around FOMC (14:00 ET) and other red news.
- The last hour before the close — MOC flows and prop close rules.
- Holiday sessions.
In Swedish time
New York is normally 6 hours behind Stockholm: the NY open 09:30 ET is 15:30 in Sweden and the 15:00 ET cut-off is 21:00. For a few weeks in spring and autumn the gap is 5 hours.
Common questions
What is the best hour to trade NQ?
09:30–11:00 ET, and specifically 10:00–11:00 ET for Silver Bullet setups.
Should I trade the London session?
Gold and index futures often make clean moves at the London open, especially when the Asia range is tight.
Let MFT follow the rules for you
Five rule-based models on NQ, ES and Gold, exact levels, and optional automation to your prop or live account with news, close and profit-target protection.
Educational content only, not financial advice. Prop firm rules change — always confirm on the firm's site.