What Are Futures Trading Hours? Do They Trade 24 Hours?

We are often asked how long the futures markets remain open. Generally, futures trading runs nearly 24 hours daily, starting Sunday evening and continuing through Friday afternoon. However, each futures product—commodities, indices, or currencies—may follow its specific trading schedule. Staying aware of these unique hours is crucial for optimizing your trading strategy and avoiding surprises when markets pause.

Here are some of the more liquid futures retail traders use and their perspective hours:

  • E-mini S&P 500: Sun-Fri 6:00 PM-5:00 PM Eastern Time
  • Crude Oil: Sun-Fri 6:00 PM-5:00 PM Eastern Time
  • Gold: Sun-Fri 6:00 PM-5:00 PM Eastern Time
  • NASDAQ: Sun-Fri 6:00 PM-5:00 PM Eastern time

Pro Tip: Always verify the specific trading hours for your chosen futures product, as exchange times can vary by commodity type and market conditions.

Let us know if you have specific questions.

Best,
Matt Z
Optimus Futures

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