The Major Trading Sessions


The three primary trading sessions are named after the major financial cities – London, New York, and Tokyo. Usually, markets tend to be most active when these cities are conducting business since it is the time when large banks and companies in these cities make their daily transactions. The primary trading sessions are outlined below: Asian Session The Asian Session is also known as the Tokyo Session, and it is the first market to open. Market participants use the Asian session to develop their strategies. Activity for the Asian session is considered to run from 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. GMT. The Asian market accounts for 6% of the world’s forex transactions. European Session London is the most active financial hub in Europe, and it hosts some of the world’s largest banks. Many market participants and high-value transactions in London make the session the largest and most important in the world, accounting for about 34% of the daily forex volume. The official trading hours for London runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. GMT, and the period is expanded by the presence of other capital markets, such as the German and French capital markets. North American Session The North American Session is dominated by activity from the U.S. markets, even though other countries such as Canada and Mexico contribute to the market activities. The North American Session starts when the Asian Session is already closed, but when the European Session is midway through its trading hours. The North American Session is also known as the New York Session, and it accounts for 16% of the world’s forex volume.

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