Gold trading is available nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week. For standard spot gold, XAU/USD and COMEX gold futures, the commonly used schedule is:

  • Opens: Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Closes: Friday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Daily maintenance break: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Schedule checked on ****.

Trading hours vary by product, broker and public holiday. Check the schedule shown in your trading platform before placing an order.

Gold Trading Hours at a Glance

Gold market Regular trading hours Important break or exception
Spot gold and XAU/USD Usually Sunday evening to Friday evening Broker maintenance hours vary
COMEX standard Gold futures, symbol GC Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. ET Daily break from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET
CME 1-Ounce Gold futures, symbol 1OZ 24 hours a day, seven days a week Maintenance from Saturday 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. CT and brief weekday pauses
London OTC gold market Internationally traded on a 24-hour basis Access depends on the dealer or platform
LBMA Gold Price auctions 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. London time These are benchmark auctions, not market opening hours

Sources: CME Group, LBMA and broker-specific market schedules. CME Group

What Are COMEX Gold Futures Trading Hours?

COMEX standard Gold futures, identified by the symbol GC, trade electronically on CME Globex during these hours:

  • Sunday: Opens at 6:00 p.m. ET
  • Monday to Thursday: Trading continues apart from the daily break
  • Friday: Trading ends at 5:00 p.m. ET
  • Daily break: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET

In Chicago time, the schedule runs from Sunday at 5:00 p.m. to Friday at 4:00 p.m., with a daily break from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT.

One standard GC contract represents 100 troy ounces of gold. CME Group

When Can You Trade Spot Gold or XAU/USD?

Spot gold and XAU/USD usually trade from Sunday evening through Friday evening. The exact hours depend on the broker because spot gold is traded through a global over-the-counter market rather than one central exchange.

The London Bullion Market Association describes international precious-metals trading as operating on a 24-hour basis. Retail brokers still set their own opening, closing and maintenance times. LBMA

For example, IG lists spot gold trading from 11:00 p.m. Sunday to 10:00 p.m. Friday in UK time. Other brokers may use different daily breaks, spreads and holiday hours. IG

Does Gold Trade on Weekends?

Most standard spot gold and COMEX gold products are closed over the weekend. Standard trading usually ends on Friday evening and resumes on Sunday evening.

The main current exception is CME Group's 1-Ounce Gold futures contract, symbol 1OZ. It trades 24 hours a day, seven days a week, excluding scheduled maintenance periods. This contract is different from the standard 100-ounce COMEX Gold futures contract. CME Group

Some brokers offer weekend or out-of-hours pricing. These prices may be created by the broker rather than taken from the main underlying gold market, so spreads and execution conditions can differ.

What Time Is the LBMA Gold Price Set?

The LBMA Gold Price is set twice each London business day:

  • 10:30 a.m. London time
  • 3:00 p.m. London time

The auctions produce internationally recognised benchmark prices in U.S. dollars per troy ounce. They are benchmark-setting events, not the only times when gold can be traded. LBMA

Do Gold Trading Hours Change on Holidays?

Yes. Gold futures and retail gold products may close early, reopen late or remain closed on major holidays, including:

  • U.S. Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year's Day
  • Good Friday

CME Group publishes holiday schedules for its products. Brokers such as IG may apply their own dealing-hour changes. Holiday schedules can also affect liquidity, spreads and order execution. CME Group

The Practical Answer for Most Traders

For most traders, the Sunday-to-Friday schedule above is the right starting point. The trading-hours panel for your exact symbol is the schedule to follow before placing an order.

Check that panel when:

  • Daylight-saving rules change
  • A public holiday is approaching
  • You are trading through a retail broker
  • You are comparing spot gold with GC or 1OZ futures