COMEX Hours: When Gold, Silver, and Copper Futures Trade

COMEX is the CME Group exchange where the major metals futures — gold (GC), silver (SI), and copper (HG) — are traded. Like the rest of CME’s electronic markets, metals trade nearly around the clock, but the hours and the liquidity windows are worth knowing before you place a trade.

The COMEX electronic schedule

COMEX metals trade on CME Globex on essentially the same wide schedule as the index futures:

• Weekly open: Sunday 6:00 PM ET (5:00 PM CT).
• Weekly close: Friday 5:00 PM ET (4:00 PM CT).
• Daily maintenance break: 5:00 PM–6:00 PM ET (4:00–5:00 PM CT), Monday through Thursday.

So gold, silver, and copper are tradeable roughly 23 hours a day during the week, resetting into each new session at 6:00 PM ET.

When metals are most active

Although the contracts are open overnight, metals liquidity tends to build during the London morning and the US daytime — loosely the late-morning to early-afternoon Eastern window, when both major centers are active. Outside those hours, spreads can widen and moves can run further on lighter volume. Treat that as context for your strategy, not a recommendation to trade any specific time.

Why this matters for a funded account

If you trade metals inside a structured, simulated funded account, the session reset at 6:00 PM ET is typically where the trading day — and your daily loss limit — rolls over. Trading the deeper-liquidity windows also tends to mean tighter spreads and cleaner fills, which matters when you are working inside defined risk limits. Always confirm the exact hours for the specific metal and on your own platform, since the exchange can adjust them.

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COMEX Hours

When gold, silver, and copper futures trade

The Electronic Schedule (CME Globex)

01

Nearly 24-hour session
Trades Sunday evening through Friday afternoon, ET.

02

A brief daily maintenance break
A short halt each afternoon resets the session.

03

Most active in US morning
Volume peaks as London and New York overlap.

Liquidity, not just open hours, is what matters

The metals trade around the clock, but the tightest spreads cluster in the active window.

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Illustrative. Confirm exact session times with your broker and program rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are COMEX trading hours?

COMEX metals futures such as gold and silver trade nearly around the clock on CME Globex, from Sunday evening through Friday afternoon Eastern time, with a short daily maintenance break. The exact hours are set by the exchange, so confirm the current schedule for your contract.

When is COMEX gold most active?

Gold and silver see their heaviest volume during the US and London overlap, roughly the morning US session, when spreads are tightest. Overnight the market still trades but with thinner liquidity, so moves can be choppier.

Does COMEX close each day?

The electronic session runs almost continuously through the week but pauses for a brief daily maintenance break, generally in the late afternoon Eastern time. The trading day rolls over at that reset rather than at midnight.

Can I trade gold futures overnight?

Yes, COMEX metals trade through most of the night on Globex, but liquidity is lower outside US and European hours. Wider spreads and thinner books mean overnight positions carry more slippage and gap risk.

Why do COMEX hours matter for a funded trader?

Because liquidity and volatility change through the session, and a hard drawdown limit punishes trading the thin, choppy hours. Knowing when the metals actually have depth helps you size and place stops sensibly.