Futures market hours: when futures open and close
CME futures trading hours in Eastern and Central Time, and whether the market is open right now in your time zone.
When does the futures market open?
CME Globex futures - equity index (ES, NQ, YM, RTY), crude oil, gold, currencies and Treasuries - open Sunday at 6:00 pm ET (5:00 pm CT) and trade until 5:00 pm ET (4:00 pm CT) Friday, with a daily break from 5:00 to 6:00 pm ET Monday to Thursday. That is 23 hours a day, five days a week, at the same Eastern Time all year.
Futures market hours in your time zone
Checking the market in your browser…
CME Globex: equity index, energy, metals, currency and Treasury futures.
Opens Sunday (6:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm CT)
—
Daily break, Monday–Thursday (5:00–6:00 pm ET)
—
Closes Friday (5:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm CT)
—
Is the futures market open now?
Each market on the regular CME schedule, checked in your browser. Grains and crypto keep their own hours.
Live market status
Checking the time in your browser…
Equity index
ES · NQ · YM · RTY
—
Status loads in your browser
Energy
CL · NG
—
Status loads in your browser
Metals
GC · SI · HG
—
Status loads in your browser
Currencies
6E · 6B · 6J
—
Status loads in your browser
Treasuries
ZN · ZB · ZF
—
Status loads in your browser
Grains
ZC · ZS · ZW
—
Status loads in your browser
Crypto
BTC · ETH
—
Status loads in your browser
Futures trading hours by market
CME Globex hours. CME sets them in Chicago time; ET is always one hour later.
Market
Contracts
Central Time (CT)
Eastern Time (ET)
Breaks
Source: CME Group trading hours and each contract’s CME specification, read 2026-09-22.
Futures hours in your time zone
The weekly landmarks, converted by your browser - including daylight saving on both sides.
CME times in your time zone
Weekly open (Sunday 5:00 pm CT)
—
Daily break starts (4:00 pm CT)
—
Daily reopen (5:00 pm CT)
—
Weekly close (Friday 4:00 pm CT)
—
US stock market open (8:30 am CT)
—
US stock market close (3:00 pm CT)
—
Gold and crude oil trading hours
Gold and crude oil hours
Gold (GC, MGC) and crude oil (CL, MCL) keep the same Globex hours as the index futures: Sunday 5:00 pm to Friday 4:00 pm CT, with a one-hour break each weekday from 4:00 pm CT. As with every futures market, volume is heaviest during US daytime hours and thinnest in the late evening and around the break.
Grains are the exception to the 23-hour schedule: corn, soybeans and wheat trade an overnight session from 7:00 pm to 7:45 am CT and a day session from 8:30 am to 1:20 pm CT.
Market hours at prop firms
Prop firm time rules
Futures prop firms add their own time rules on top of the exchange’s: a cut-off before the daily close by which positions must be flat, no holding over the weekend, and restrictions around major news. The times differ by firm, so read the firm’s rules page - or compare futures prop firms side by side. Holidays move the exchange close too: see the CME holiday schedule for 2026.
Why the evening session counts as the next trading day, when volume is heaviest and how prop firm cut-offs work are covered in the futures trading hours guide.
Spot forex keeps its own clock - Sunday 5:00 pm to Friday 5:00 pm ET, through the Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York sessions - an hour ahead of CME currency futures on Sunday and with no daily break. See forex market hours for which sessions are open now, and the 2026 stock market holidays for the days the NYSE and Nasdaq close.
FAQs - futures market hours
Hours checked 2026-09-22 against CME Group.
CME Globex futures open for the week at 6:00 pm ET (5:00 pm CT) on Sunday. After that they reopen at 6:00 pm ET every weekday evening, Monday to Thursday, following the one-hour daily break. The session that opens in the evening counts as the next day’s trading.
Each weekday the futures market pauses at 5:00 pm ET (4:00 pm CT) for a one-hour break and reopens at 6:00 pm ET. On Friday the 5:00 pm ET close is the weekly close, and the market stays shut until 6:00 pm ET on Sunday. Grains close earlier, at 2:20 pm ET (1:20 pm CT).
It depends on the day. Sunday: 6:00 pm ET. Monday to Thursday: futures have traded since the previous evening and pause from 5:00 to 6:00 pm ET, then reopen at 6:00 pm ET. Friday: they trade until 5:00 pm ET and do not reopen until Sunday. Saturday: closed. The live status at the top of this page shows the next open or close in your time zone, and flags a holiday schedule when one applies.
CME Globex trading hours are Sunday 5:00 pm to Friday 4:00 pm Central Time (6:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET), with a daily 4:00–5:00 pm CT break, for equity index, energy, metals, currency and interest rate futures. CME grain futures trade 7:00 pm to 7:45 am CT and 8:30 am to 1:20 pm CT, and CME crypto futures trade 24/7 apart from short maintenance windows.
In 2026 CME futures close for New Year’s Day (Jan 1), Thanksgiving (Nov 26) and Christmas (Dec 25), and trade shortened sessions on MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day observed (Jul 3) and Labor Day. Columbus Day and Veterans Day are regular trading days. The 2026 CME holiday calendar lists the early-close time for each market.
CME Globex opens for the week at 5:00 pm CT (6:00 pm ET) on Sunday for equity index, energy, metals, currency and Treasury futures. Grains open at 7:00 pm CT.
Globex futures close for the weekend at 4:00 pm CT (5:00 pm ET) on Friday. Grains close at 1:20 pm CT.
Nearly. Globex futures trade 23 hours a day, Sunday evening to Friday afternoon, pausing from 4:00 to 5:00 pm CT each weekday. CME crypto futures (BTC, ETH and their micros) trade 24/7 apart from a two-minute pause at 4:00 pm CT on weekdays and a Saturday 2:00–4:00 am CT maintenance window.
Gold futures (GC and MGC) trade on CME Globex Sunday to Friday, 5:00 pm to 4:00 pm CT (6:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET), with a 60-minute break each day beginning at 4:00 pm CT.
Crude oil futures (CL, MCL and QM) trade on CME Globex Sunday to Friday, 5:00 pm to 4:00 pm CT (6:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET), with a 60-minute break each day beginning at 4:00 pm CT.
Not in US time. CME sets its hours in Chicago time and the US zones change on the same dates, so the hours stay 5:00 pm – 4:00 pm CT and 6:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET all year. In Europe, Asia and Australia the local times shift, including for a few weeks each spring and autumn when the US and Europe change clocks on different dates.
Related reference
More futures reference, and where these rules meet prop firm terms.
Browse Prop Firm Lists
Rankings by country, platform, assets, challenge type and more-built from live firm data.
Countries
Prop firms that accept traders from your country or region.
Platforms
MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker and other supported trading platforms.
Assets
Forex, crypto, futures, stocks and other tradable asset classes.
Features
Instant funding, scalping rules, profit splits and program benefits.
Challenges
One-step, two-step, instant funding and evaluation program types.
Trader types
Beginners, scalpers, swing traders and other trading styles.
Payment methods
Card, crypto, bank transfer and other ways to pay for challenges.
Payout methods
How firms pay traders-Wise, crypto, bank wire and more.
Why Futures Traders Trust Prop Firm Pal?
Futures-centric benchmarks for evaluations, payout proof and trader reviews - filtered to desks that run CME-linked programs.
Futures Evaluation Listings
Drawdown ladders, payout cadence and account sizing surfaced for desks that specialise in futures funding paths.
Futures-To-Futures Comparisons
Stack futures evaluations beside each other across fees, resets, payouts and trader-reported hurdles.
Futures Trader Voices
Hear verified traders unpack payout speed, platform stability and futures-specific risk controls.
Futures Desk Signals
Rule clarity, payout regularity and support quality summed for traders sizing up futures programs.
FAQs - Prop Trading Questions Answered
Answers on prop firms, funded accounts, challenges and how our platform works
Yes, the prop firm discount codes listed on Prop Firm Pal are legitimate. We only publish verified promo codes from official partnerships or publicly available promotions. Our team regularly checks and updates codes to ensure traders can access valid savings on prop firm challenges and funded accounts.
The Prop Firm Pal rewards dashboard allows traders to earn points or rewards after purchasing a prop firm challenge through our platform. To claim rewards, upload a screenshot or proof of your purchase inside your client dashboard. Once verified, we credit your account with the corresponding reward. This system gives traders additional benefits on top of any prop firm discount code they used.
Prop Firm Pal is a comparison and review platform for proprietary trading firms. We list popular prop firms, publish detailed descriptions, collect real trader reviews, and provide verified discount codes for challenges and funded accounts. Our goal is to help traders compare prop firms, save money with promo codes, and choose the best funded trading program for their needs.
Prop Firm Pal allows traders to browse a curated list of proprietary trading firms, read in-depth information about each firm, and view real user reviews. When you find a prop firm you like, you can click the discount code button to copy the promo code and visit the firm’s website through our link. If you complete a purchase, you receive the advertised discount and we may earn a commission from the prop firm at no additional cost to you.
To use a prop firm discount code on Prop Firm Pal, go to the prop firm’s profile page and click the discount button. The promo code will automatically copy to your clipboard and you will be redirected to the official prop firm website. At checkout, paste the code into the coupon or promo field to apply the discount to your challenge or funded account purchase.
Stay Ahead in Prop Trading
Compare verified firms, grab exclusive deals, and enter free challenge giveaways up to $200K.
Resources
Statistics
Tools
All information provided on this site is intended solely for educational purposes related to trading on financial markets and does not serve in any way as a specific investment recommendation, business recommendation, investment opportunity analysis, or similar general recommendation regarding the trading of investment instruments.
Prop Firm Pal provides comparison, review, and educational resources only. We do not operate as a proprietary trading firm, broker, or custodian, do not offer simulated trading accounts or evaluations, and do not provide execution or custody of funds.
The information on this site is not directed at residents in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local laws or regulations.
Prop Firm Pal does not act as a broker and does not accept any deposits.
Data, tools, and third-party references on this site are provided for informational purposes; availability and accuracy may depend on third-party sources outside our control.
© 2026 Prop Firm Pal. All rights reserved.