Gold Handelszeiten is one of the most searched gold questions in Germany. The short answer: spot gold trades almost 24 hours a day from Monday 00:00 to Friday 23:00 German time, with a one-hour daily pause from 23:00 to 00:00. If you want to know whether gold is open right now, the live gold market hours tool shows it in your own time zone.
The longer answer matters because gold follows two cities. Its trading week is anchored to New York (Sunday 6:00 pm to Friday 5:00 pm New York time), while the world’s main physical market and benchmark are in London. Central Europe sits one hour ahead of London and six hours ahead of New York for most of the year, and that is what sets the times below.
A note on terms you may see: MEZ (Mitteleuropäische Zeit, CET, UTC+1) is winter time and MESZ (Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit, CEST, UTC+2) is summer time. Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland all use the same clock, so this guide works for all of them.
Gold trading hours in Central European Time
Germany and the US both use daylight saving time, so for most of the year the gap between Frankfurt and New York is six hours and the local times do not change. Only the clock label changes, from MESZ to MEZ.
| Event | German time (CET or CEST) | New York | London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly open | Monday 00:00 | Sunday 18:00 | Sunday 23:00 |
| Tokyo opens | 02:00 (winter 01:00) | 20:00 (winter 19:00) | 01:00 (winter 00:00) |
| London open | 09:00 | 03:00 | 08:00 |
| LBMA gold price, morning | 11:30 | 05:30 | 10:30 |
| ECB decision (when scheduled) | 14:15 | 08:15 | 13:15 |
| US data (8:30 am NY) | 14:30 | 08:30 | 13:30 |
| London–New York overlap | 14:00–18:00 | 08:00–12:00 | 13:00–17:00 |
| LBMA gold price, afternoon | 16:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 |
| Fed decision (8 a year) | 20:00 | 14:00 | 19:00 |
| Daily break | 23:00–00:00 | 17:00–18:00 | 22:00–23:00 |
| Weekly close | Friday 23:00 | Friday 17:00 | Friday 22:00 |
Tokyo does not use summer time, which is why its open is the only row that moves by an hour between summer and winter in Germany. Times are typical for spot XAUUSD; some brokers open or close a few minutes later.
The two weeks a year when everything shifts
Europe and the US change their clocks on different dates. While one has changed and the other has not, the Frankfurt–New York gap is five hours instead of six, and every New York-anchored time arrives one hour earlier on your clock.
| Period | Weekly open | US data | Fed decision | Daily break | Weekly close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal (most of the year) | Mon 00:00 | 14:30 | 20:00 | 23:00–00:00 | Fri 23:00 |
| 25 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 | Sun 23:00 | 13:30 | 19:00 | 22:00–23:00 | Fri 22:00 |
| 14 Mar – 28 Mar 2027 | Sun 23:00 | 13:30 | 19:00 | 22:00–23:00 | Fri 22:00 |
The London open and the London fix do not move, because the UK changes its clocks on the same dates as Germany.
The autumn gap this year matters more than usual. The Fed announces its decision on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 19:00 CET, US Q3 GDP and September PCE inflation follow on Thursday at 13:30 CET, and the ECB decides the same day at 14:15 CET. If your alarms are set to the usual 14:30 and 20:00, they will be an hour late. Our gold week ahead has the full calendar, and the glossary explains the daylight saving shift.
What is the London fix and why does it matter in Europe?
The LBMA Gold Price, still widely called the London fix, is a benchmark price set by an electronic auction twice each London business day, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time. In Germany that is 11:30 and 16:00, all year round. Central banks, refiners, jewellers and many contracts use it as a reference.
For a trader, the fix is a moment rather than a session. Liquidity can briefly concentrate around the auctions, and the afternoon price at 16:00 CET lands in the middle of the London–New York overlap. The glossary pages on the London fix and the LBMA explain the background.
Which hours move the most, in German time
Our gold volatility tool records the average range of every hour. On data to 23 October 2026, covering 59 trading days in summer time, the pattern in German time (CEST) was:
| Hour (CEST) | Average hourly range | What usually happens |
|---|---|---|
| 03:00–04:00 | $23.1 | Busiest Asian hour |
| 09:00–10:00 | $15.5 | London opens |
| 11:00–12:00 | $13.2 | Morning fix, Europe midday |
| 14:00–15:00 | $30.1 | US data at 14:30 |
| 15:00–16:00 | $28.9 | London–New York overlap |
| 16:00–17:00 | $26.6 | Afternoon fix, overlap continues |
| 22:00–23:00 | $10.6 | Late US session, quiet |
The message is clear: the European afternoon is gold’s busiest time. The 14:00 and 15:00 hours averaged roughly twice the range of the London open hour. Many European traders treat the morning as preparation and the afternoon as the main window. The London session guide and the New York session guide cover each part of the day.
US data and central bank times to put in your calendar
| Release | Usual German time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| US jobs report (NFP) | 14:30 | Monthly, usually the first Friday |
| US CPI | 14:30 | Monthly |
| US PCE inflation | 14:30 | Monthly |
| Fed decision | 20:00 (press conference 20:30) | Eight times a year |
| ECB decision | 14:15 (press conference 14:45) | Eight times a year |
In the clock-change weeks, subtract one hour from every US time in that table; ECB times do not change. Our gold market events page converts every date automatically, and the guides to trading gold on NFP day and ECB and BoJ decisions explain how gold usually reacts.
Spot gold versus exchange-listed gold
When German traders search for Handelszeiten, they sometimes mean the hours of an exchange rather than spot XAUUSD. Spot gold and gold CFDs offered by brokers follow the near 24-hour New York cycle above. Gold products listed on a stock exchange, such as exchange-traded commodities, follow that exchange’s own opening hours, which are shorter and usually end in the evening. Check the venue’s published hours for those. COMEX gold futures in the US trade on a schedule close to spot. Our guide to spot gold versus gold futures explains the differences.
Your platform’s clock
MetaTrader charts show broker server time, often GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 in summer. That puts server time one hour ahead of German time for most of the year, so the daily candle that closes at 00:00 server time closes at 23:00 in Frankfurt. Check this once and recheck it after each clock change.
Prices in euros
At the exchange rate in our data on 23 October 2026, a gold price of $4,020.4 per ounce was about €3,584 per ounce, and each $10 move was worth about €8.92 per ounce. For local retail prices, see the city pages for Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Madrid, or the eurozone gold price page. Regulation, tax and access in Germany are covered in our guide to trading gold in Germany, and other countries are in the gold trading hours by country table.
Educational content only, not financial advice. Session times are typical and can differ slightly by broker; check your platform’s specification and holiday schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What are gold trading hours in Germany?
Spot gold (XAUUSD) normally trades from Monday 00:00 to Friday 23:00 German time, with a daily break from 23:00 to 00:00. Because Germany and the US both use summer time, these local times stay the same for most of the year. Exact hours vary slightly by broker.
What does Handelszeiten mean for gold?
Handelszeiten simply means trading hours. For spot gold traded with a broker, it means the near 24-hour cycle from Sunday evening to Friday evening New York time. Exchange-traded gold products listed in Germany follow the opening hours of the exchange where they are listed, which are shorter.
What time is the London gold fix in Germany?
The LBMA Gold Price is set twice each London business day, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time. In Germany that is 11:30 and 16:00 all year, because the UK and Germany change their clocks on the same dates.
What time is US data for gold in Central European Time?
Most major US data such as payrolls, CPI and PCE come out at 8:30 am New York time, which is 14:30 in Germany for most of the year. During the clock-change weeks, from 25 October to 1 November 2026 and from 14 to 28 March 2027, it is 13:30.
What time is the Fed decision in Germany?
Fed decisions are released at 2:00 pm New York time, which is normally 20:00 in Germany. The October 28, 2026 decision falls in the clock-change week, so it lands at 19:00 CET, with the press conference at 19:30.
What is the best time to trade gold from Europe?
For most traders, the London open at 09:00 CET and the afternoon from 14:00 to 18:00 CET, when US data is released and London and New York overlap. Our volatility heatmap showed the biggest average hourly moves in the 14:00 and 15:00 German-time hours in recent months.
Sources and further reading
- CME Group — Gold futures overview — Contract specifications and trading hours for COMEX gold
- CFTC — Commitments of Traders — Weekly futures positioning, including gold
- Investor.gov — Stop order — How stop orders work, and their limits in fast markets
External sites are independent of XAUUSD Global. Check dates and data yourself.