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Forex

EUR/USD: best trading hours and price drivers

Updated

Short answer

The euro against the US dollar is the most traded currency pair in the world. Tight spreads and deep liquidity make it the default first asset for most traders.

Most active hours: 13:00–17:00 UTC

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Most active hours in your country

CountryTime zoneMost active hours
IndiaIST18:30–22:30
PakistanPKT18:00–22:00
BangladeshBST19:00–23:00
NigeriaWAT14:00–18:00
KenyaEAT16:00–20:00
South AfricaSAST15:00–19:00
PhilippinesPHT21:00–01:00
EgyptEET15:00–19:00
Saudi ArabiaAST16:00–20:00
UAEGST17:00–21:00

Times shift by one hour when Europe, the US or Australia change clocks. This page recalculates them in your browser.

How to approach EUR/USD on short expiries

Currency pairs are most predictable when liquidity is high, during the London and New York sessions. Start with 5-minute expiries, trade only inside the active window above, and stand aside around the releases listed below. Outside market hours the quote may be an OTC price set by the broker.

Scheduled releases that move this asset

ReleaseHow oftenUTCIndia (IST)Nigeria (WAT)UAE (GST)
US jobs report (NFP)Monthly, usually the first Friday13:3019:0014:3017:30
US inflation (CPI)Monthly, around mid-month13:3019:0014:3017:30
Federal Reserve rate decision (FOMC)8 times a year19:0000:3020:0023:00
ECB rate decisionAbout every 6 weeks13:1518:4514:1517:15

For short expiries many traders pause 15 minutes before and after these releases. Times follow each publisher’s own clock, so they shift when Europe, the US or Australia change clocks. Check the official calendar for exact dates; holidays can move releases.

What moves the price

  • ECB and Federal Reserve rate decisions
  • US jobs report (NFP), first Friday of the month
  • Euro area and US inflation (CPI)

Outside market hours many brokers offer an OTC version of this asset. OTC prices are set by the broker, not the interbank market.

Strategies to test on this asset