If you’re wondering when forex market is closed?, it’s important to understand that while the forex market operates 24 hours a day during the trading week, it does not run continuously through the weekend. The market is open Monday to Friday and closes every weekend, with specific closing times depending on your time zone.

Standard Forex Market Closing Time

The forex market officially closes every Friday at 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM EST) — when the New York session ends. It then remains closed throughout the weekend.

When Does The Market Reopen?

The forex market reopens every Sunday at 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM EST), starting with the Sydney session.

This 48-hour pause is observed globally, affecting both institutional and retail traders.

Why Does The Forex Market Close On Weekends?

• Banks and financial institutions are closed, meaning liquidity vanishes.
• Central banks don’t operate, making it an inefficient time to trade.
• Volatility and spreads become unpredictable and wide without institutional order flow.
• Brokers use the downtime for server maintenance and system updates.

Does This Mean You Can’t Trade At All?

Yes, you cannot place or modify forex trades during the weekend. Some brokers allow you to queue orders to activate once markets reopen, but live execution is not available until the market resumes.

Exceptions: Related Weekend Trading

• Cryptocurrencies trade 24/7, including weekends.
• Some brokers offer weekend trading for indices or synthetic instruments, but not for major forex pairs.

Beware Of Weekend Gaps

Markets can open with a gap if major news occurs during the closure — such as political events, natural disasters, or central bank announcements. These gaps can result in sudden price shifts and slippage at the Sunday open.

Conclusion

If you’re asking when forex market is closed?, the answer is every Friday at 10:00 PM GMT until Sunday at 10:00 PM GMT. While forex operates 24 hours a day during the week, it pauses over weekends due to global banking closures and reduced liquidity.

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