Daylight saving shift in gold trading
The daylight saving shift is the few weeks each spring and autumn when US and European clocks change on different dates, moving gold's session times by an hour.
Also called DST change, Clock change, Summer time shift
The daylight saving shift refers to the periods in March and April, and again in October and November, when the United States and Europe change their clocks on different dates. For two to three weeks the usual gap between London and New York is four hours instead of five, which moves the relative timing of the London open, the US data releases and the New York open. Countries that do not observe daylight saving, such as India, Singapore and the UAE, see every US and European session time shift by an hour twice a year.
How it applies to gold trading
Session-based gold strategies depend on knowing when London and New York are active. During the mismatch weeks, the London open arrives an hour earlier or later relative to New York time, the 8:30 a.m. Eastern data land at 12:30 p.m. rather than 1:30 p.m. London time, and ICT killzones, defined in New York time, move relative to London-based levels. A trader in Dubai who always trades “the London open at noon” will be an hour wrong for several weeks a year.
The daily break and the futures close stay anchored to New York time, so the daily candle boundary does not move for New York-based charts but does move for everyone else.
A common mistake
Using a fixed local-time session template all year. Checking the live market hours tool, or a calendar with both regions’ change dates, avoids a month of mistimed sessions.
See also: London open, New York session, Killzone, Daily break.
Frequently asked questions
When do the clock changes affect gold session times?
The US changes on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November; the UK and EU on the last Sundays of March and October. The weeks between those dates are the mismatch periods.
Do the killzones move with daylight saving?
They are defined in New York time, so they stay fixed for New York and move by an hour relative to London, GMT and non-DST countries when US clocks change.