Futures Trading Hours 2026: ES, NQ, CL & GC Session Guide
Every session window that matters, in Eastern Time — plus which hours are actually worth trading and the flatten times that get prop firm accounts blown.
Futures trading hours run Sunday 6:00 PM ET to Friday 5:00 PM ET, with a one-hour maintenance halt each day from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET. ES, NQ, CL and GC all follow this cycle on CME Globex. The Regular Trading Hours (RTH) session — where most volume lives — is 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET, and the highest quality trading window is the first two hours of it, 9:30–11:30 AM ET.
The futures market being open 23 hours a day is the single most expensive fact for new traders. You can trade almost any hour — which is exactly why most people trade far too many of them. This guide gives you the real futures trading hours for the four products that matter most (ES, NQ, CL, GC), the session structure behind those hours, and an honest opinion on which windows earn your attention.
We call the open live most mornings in the free SATO Discord — if you want to see how these windows behave in practice rather than on a table, that's the fastest way.
Futures Trading Hours by Product (ET)
All times Eastern. CME defines these in Central Time, so they shift with the ET/CT relationship only when the US changes daylight saving — the ET values below stay stable year-round.
| Product | Globex Session | RTH / Pit-equivalent | Daily Halt |
|---|---|---|---|
| ES / MES (S&P 500) | Sun 6:00 PM – Fri 5:00 PM | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM | 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
| NQ / MNQ (Nasdaq 100) | Sun 6:00 PM – Fri 5:00 PM | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM | 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
| YM / RTY | Sun 6:00 PM – Fri 5:00 PM | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM | 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
| CL (Crude Oil) | Sun 6:00 PM – Fri 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM | 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
| GC (Gold) | Sun 6:00 PM – Fri 5:00 PM | 8:20 AM – 1:30 PM | 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
CME occasionally adjusts product schedules. Confirm against the current CME product calendar before building an automated strategy around exact minutes.
Globex vs RTH — Why the Distinction Changes Your Charts
Globex is the full ~23-hour electronic session. RTH is the 9:30 AM–4:00 PM ET window that overlaps the US cash equity market. This is not trivia — it changes the numbers your indicators produce.
- Volume profile: an RTH-anchored profile gives a completely different POC and value area than a Globex profile. Most institutional reference levels are RTH-based. See the volume profile guide.
- VWAP: session VWAP resets at the session start you choose. RTH VWAP is the one most desks actually watch — the VWAP strategy guide covers the anchoring rules.
- Initial balance: IB is defined as the first hour of RTH, 9:30–10:30 AM ET. Compute it off Globex and the level is meaningless — see initial balance & the first hour.
- Gaps: the "overnight gap" only exists on an RTH chart. On a Globex chart price is continuous, which is why some traders keep both chart types open.
My default: RTH for levels and profiles, Globex for context on where the overnight range sits relative to those levels.
The Trading Day, Session by Session
The 23-hour day breaks into six distinct personalities. Learn which one you're in and half of your bad trades disappear.
Low volume, range-bound. Levels set here often get swept later.
First real volume injection. Creates the European high/low used later in RTH.
8:30 AM data prints. Fast, thin, and where a lot of overnight positioning unwinds.
Highest volume and cleanest orderflow of the day. Initial balance forms here.
Volume dies. Worst risk/reward window for most intraday strategies.
Second-best window. Trend resumption, MOC imbalance, day-timeframe resolution.
Best Time to Trade ES and NQ
If you only trade one window, trade 9:30–11:30 AM ET. It is not close. That window carries the largest share of daily volume, the widest ranges, and the cleanest orderflow signal — absorption and imbalance mean something when there is real size behind them, and they mean nothing at 12:45 PM.
| Window (ET) | Quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 – 11:30 AM | A+ | Open drive, IB break, orderflow scalps, ORB |
| 2:00 – 4:00 PM | A− | Trend resumption, close imbalance, day-type resolution |
| 3:00 – 5:00 AM | B | London open range, European traders |
| 8:00 – 9:30 AM | B− | News reaction — fast and thin, experienced only |
| 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | D | Nothing. This is where accounts die. |
| 6:00 PM – 3:00 AM | C | Asia range; level-setting, not execution |
One caveat on the midday D grade: it is a grade for intraday momentum strategies. Mean-reversion traders working value-area edges can make midday work, because the same low volume that kills breakouts also keeps price pinned. Know which game you're playing.
Prop Firm Flatten Times and Overnight Rules
This is the part that costs people funded accounts. Prop firms do not let you use all 23 hours the way a retail broker does.
Firm-specific rulebooks I keep updated: Apex rules, Tradeify payout rules, and FundedNext Futures payout rules. If you're still choosing a firm, start with best futures prop firms 2026.
Two practical habits that prevent 90% of accidental breaches: set a platform alarm 15 minutes before your firm's flatten time, and configure auto-flatten in your platform rather than relying on memory.
Economic News Times That Move Futures
These are the recurring clock times worth marking. Volatility around them is real, and most prop firms restrict trading through them.
| Time (ET) | Releases | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | CPI, PPI, NFP, jobless claims, retail sales | Highest — instant multi-point moves in ES/NQ |
| 10:00 AM | ISM, consumer sentiment, JOLTS | High — often reverses the open drive |
| 10:30 AM (Wed) | EIA crude inventories | Very high for CL specifically |
| 2:00 / 2:30 PM | FOMC statement, then press conference | Extreme — two-way whipsaw is standard |
Holiday Hours and Half Days
On most US market holidays CME runs a shortened schedule — Globex opens the night before and closes early, frequently 1:00 PM ET. Full closures (Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day) have no RTH session at all, and the sessions surrounding them are extremely thin.
My rule: don't trade half days on a funded account. Liquidity is a fraction of normal, stops slip, and orderflow reads that work at 9:35 AM on a Tuesday simply do not hold. There is no edge worth the drawdown risk — and if you're on a trailing drawdown account, one bad fill can cost you the account. See trailing drawdown explained.
Building Your Own Trading Schedule
The point of knowing every session is to trade fewer of them. Here's the framework I give every new trader in the Discord:
- Pick one window based on your time zone and your strategy — for most US traders that's 9:30–11:30 AM ET.
- Prep 30 minutes before it. Overnight range, prior day's high/low/POC, news calendar, your levels.
- Set a hard stop time. When the window closes, you're done — win, lose, or flat.
- Log the session, not the trade. Track which window your P&L actually comes from over 40 sessions. Most traders find one window pays for all the others.
- Cut the losing window entirely. This single change turns more evaluation accounts profitable than any indicator ever will.
If the discipline side is what's breaking down rather than the schedule itself, read trading psychology on a funded account.
Futures Trading Hours FAQ
What are futures trading hours in 2026?+
CME equity index futures (ES, NQ, YM, RTY) trade nearly 23 hours a day, Sunday 6:00 PM ET through Friday 5:00 PM ET, with a daily maintenance halt from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET. Crude oil (CL) and gold (GC) follow the same 6:00 PM–5:00 PM ET cycle on CME Globex. The Regular Trading Hours (RTH) equity session runs 9:30 AM–4:00 PM ET.
What is the difference between Globex and RTH?+
Globex is the full electronic session (6:00 PM–5:00 PM ET next day). RTH is the New York cash-equity overlap, 9:30 AM–4:00 PM ET, when US stock market participants are active. RTH carries the large majority of daily volume in ES and NQ, so volume profile, VWAP and initial balance calculations are usually anchored to RTH rather than the full Globex session.
What is the best time to trade ES and NQ?+
The highest-quality window is 9:30–11:30 AM ET — the RTH open and the first two hours, when volume, range and orderflow signal are all at their peak. A secondary window runs 2:00–4:00 PM ET on the close. The London/US overlap from roughly 3:00–5:00 AM ET is tradeable if you like the European session. Midday 11:30 AM–1:30 PM ET is the worst window for most strategies.
When does the futures market close each day?+
The daily halt is 5:00 PM–6:00 PM ET Monday through Thursday. The week closes Friday at 5:00 PM ET and reopens Sunday at 6:00 PM ET. Some products differ slightly — CL and GC pause at the same time, while agricultural products have separate break structures.
What time do prop firms force you to flat positions?+
Most futures prop firms require positions closed and orders cancelled before the daily maintenance halt, commonly 4:59 PM ET, and many block or restrict overnight holding entirely on evaluation accounts. Apex, Tradeify and FundedNext each publish their own flatten time — always check the current rulebook, because breaching it is one of the most common accidental rule violations.
Can I trade futures overnight?+
Technically yes — Globex is open. Practically, most prop firm evaluation accounts either forbid holding through the daily close or require flat by the firm's flatten time. Overnight liquidity is also far thinner, so stops slip more and spreads widen. If you are on a funded account, treat overnight as a rulebook question first and a strategy question second.
Do futures trading hours change with daylight saving time?+
CME session times are defined in Central Time, so ET-quoted times stay stable within the US. What shifts is the relationship to Europe and Asia: for the few weeks when US and EU daylight saving are out of sync, the London open lands an hour earlier or later relative to the New York session, which visibly changes the European range.
Are futures open on US holidays?+
Usually on a shortened schedule. On most US market holidays Globex opens the night before and closes early (often 1:00 PM ET), and on full closures like Christmas Day and Thanksgiving there is no RTH session. Holiday sessions have thin liquidity and unreliable orderflow — most experienced traders sit them out.
What time does the economic-news volatility hit?+
8:30 AM ET is the big one — CPI, NFP, PPI, jobless claims. 10:00 AM ET catches ISM and consumer sentiment. 2:00 PM ET is FOMC statement day, followed by the 2:30 PM press conference. If you trade a prop firm account, most firms restrict or prohibit holding through high-impact news — check your rulebook.
How many hours a day should I actually trade?+
Two to three. Almost every consistently funded trader I know trades one defined window — usually the RTH open — and does nothing the rest of the day. Screen time beyond your edge window is where overtrading, revenge trades and consistency-rule breaches come from.
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