Asian range in gold trading
The Asian range is the high and low gold builds during the Asian session before London opens; its edges are the first liquidity London usually tests.
Also called Asian session range, Tokyo range, Overnight range
The Asian range is the price band established between the reopen after the New York close and the London open, roughly 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. New York time, covering Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong hours. Gold is usually quieter in this window: fewer participants, tighter movement and a tendency to consolidate the previous New York session. The high and low of the range become reference levels for the rest of the day.
How it applies to gold trading
The range matters because of what happens to it. The London open very often breaks one side, and the break is as likely to be a sweep as a breakout. Asian-range strategies take one of two forms: breakout methods that enter on a confirmed break of the range during London, or sweep methods that wait for the false break and trade the return. Both need the range to be clearly defined; a wide, choppy Asian session with a $40 range gives poor setups, while a tight $12 range sets up a clean expansion.
The Asian range is also where many day traders avoid trading. Spreads can be wider, moves smaller, and breakouts inside the session tend to fail.
A common mistake
Measuring the range with inconsistent times. Decide the window (for example 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. New York) and keep it, otherwise the levels change from day to day for no market reason.
See also: London open, Judas swing, Liquidity sweep, Daily break.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the Asian session for gold?
Roughly from the reopen at 6 p.m. New York time until the London open around 3 a.m. New York time (8 a.m. London). Traders define the range window within that; our market hours tool shows it in your time zone.
Is the Asian session good for trading gold?
It is usually the quietest session, with smaller ranges and more false breakouts. Many traders use it to mark levels rather than to trade, though range-bound methods can work in it.