Forex
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17 day ago
5 min read
Written by Greenup24
The Forex market is one of the most dynamic financial markets in the world — a 24-hour market operating five days a week, connecting traders across all time zones. However, not every hour of the day offers the same trading opportunities. The highest trading volumes and liquidity typically occur during the overlap of major sessions — especially the London–New York overlap.
One factor that shifts these trading session times each year is the Daylight Saving Time (DST) adjustment made by many countries. In this article, GreenUp24 explains why this one-hour change can be important for traders and how you can prepare for it effectively.
DST (Daylight Saving Time) refers to the seasonal clock adjustment practiced in many European countries and the United States. In spring, clocks are moved forward by one hour to make better use of daylight, and in autumn, they are moved back by one hour.
This seemingly small adjustment affects the opening and closing times of global trading sessions, which in turn influences traders operating in other time zones.
When DST shifts occur, the timing of major financial centers relative to UTC changes. For example, the London–New York overlap, which is normally the most active and liquid period of the trading day, may shift by one hour.
The result can be noticeable changes in trading volume and price volatility. Professional traders always pay attention to the exact timing of session openings and closings. If you miscalculate session times, you might enter during a low-volume period, face wider spreads, or miss high-probability opportunities.
Therefore, understanding these DST-related shifts is essential for effective risk management and trade timing.
During the weeks when only one financial center has adjusted to DST while others have not, the market experiences a short period of temporary desynchronization. During this time, spreads may widen slightly, and market depth may decrease. Traders — especially those using short-term or scalping strategies — should take this into account when executing trades.
If you use Expert Advisors (EAs) or other automated trading systems, make sure their time settings are aligned with UTC or with your GreenUp24 server time. Otherwise, your system may execute signals earlier or later than intended, potentially affecting performance and backtesting accuracy.
The release times of key macroeconomic data such as NFP, CPI, or FOMC decisions remain constant in local U.S. time, but they shift relative to your own local time. Therefore, before major events, always double-check their release times in your local timezone using the GreenUp24 Economic Calendar.
To view the economic calendar, visit the Announcements section at GreenUp24.com.
During DST transition periods, the GreenUp24 technical team updates the server time and trading hours schedule for all instruments (FX, indices, and commodities) in line with global standards. This ensures smooth and uninterrupted order execution for all clients.
Nevertheless, we recommend that traders review the updated trading hours on their platform before the start of the DST adjustment week.
In 2025, DST ends in Europe in late October and in the United States on the first Sunday of November. As a result, for about two weeks, the session times between these regions will not be synchronized, leading to possible changes in trading volume and market behavior.
During this period, GreenUp24 will adjust its server time based on UTC, ensuring all users across different time zones experience consistent and accurate trading conditions.
Following these simple steps helps you avoid unexpected volatility and timing errors in your trades.
Although changing the clock by one hour for Daylight Saving Time may seem trivial, it can significantly impact trade timing, market liquidity, and the performance of automated systems.
At GreenUp24, we proactively update our servers, adjust trading schedules, and communicate changes clearly to clients — ensuring a stable, transparent, and efficient trading environment for all.
