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. COMEX metals such as gold trade on CME Globex on the schedule published in CME Group's holiday and trading hours, and the standard contract terms are set out in the CME gold contract specifications.
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.
Trades Sunday evening through Friday afternoon, ET.
A short halt each afternoon resets the session.
Volume peaks as London and New York overlap.
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.
What are COMEX trading hours for a funded account?
COMEX metals like gold trade nearly 24 hours on CME Globex, Sunday evening through Friday afternoon Central Time, with a short daily maintenance break. In a funded account the liquid window matters more than the open hours: trade when volume is deep and confirm your program's session and news rules.
Does gold trade around the clock in a funded account?
Gold futures trade almost around the clock on CME Globex, but liquidity concentrates in the US and London overlap. Funded traders usually focus on those liquid windows and size down in thin overnight hours, when spreads widen and a move can reach a loss limit faster.
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