Daily break in gold trading
The daily break is the roughly one-hour pause in gold trading around 5 p.m. New York time, when swaps are charged, spreads widen and the daily candle closes.
Also called Rollover hour, Market close, 5 p.m. New York close
The daily break is the short period each weekday when gold trading pauses. CME Globex, which hosts COMEX gold futures, halts from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, and most XAUUSD platforms either close or quote wide spreads in the same hour. It is the boundary of the trading day: daily candles close at 5 p.m., swaps are applied, and the next session begins with the Asian open at 6 p.m.
How it applies to gold trading
Three practical consequences. Spreads widen sharply in the minutes before and after the break, so stops close to the market can be triggered by the spread alone and new entries are expensive. Pending orders may not fill across the break, and gaps between the 5 p.m. close and 6 p.m. reopen are possible when news lands in the hour. And the swap for any open position is charged at this time, three days’ worth on the triple-swap night.
The break also defines the daily chart. Platforms whose daily candles close at midnight in another time zone produce different daily highs, lows and patterns from those using the New York close, which is the one the futures market and most professional analysis use.
A common mistake
Leaving a tight stop on a gold position through the break. The widened spread can hit it without any real price move.
See also: Swap and rollover, Gap, Asian range, Bid, ask and spread.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the gold market daily break?
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. New York time on weekdays, matching the CME Globex maintenance window. Some platforms pause for a shorter period; check the contract specification.
Why do spreads widen before the daily break?
Liquidity providers withdraw as the futures market closes, so fewer quotes are available and the spread reflects that until the Asian session is under way.