COMEX GC · CME Globex
COMEX Gold Trading Hours
COMEX gold futures trade on CME Globex Sunday 18:00 ET to Friday 17:00 ET, pausing every weekday from 17:00 to 18:00 ET.
What are COMEX gold futures trading hours?
Gold futures (GC) trade almost 23 hours a day: Sunday 18:00 ET to Friday 17:00 ET on CME Globex, with a one-hour halt at 17:00–18:00 ET (22:00–23:00 UTC winter, 21:00–22:00 UTC summer). Live countdown below; US session detail on New York gold trading hours. Spot XAU/USD: is gold open?
- ~23 hTrading per day
- 17–18 ETDaily halt
- Sun 18:00Weekly open ET
- Fri 17:00Weekly close ET
COMEX gold schedule in UTC
Winter = New York on EST. Summer = New York on EDT.
| Event | UTC (winter) | UTC (summer) |
|---|---|---|
| Globex weekly open (Sun 18:00 ET) | Sun 23:00 | Sun 22:00 |
| Daily halt start (17:00 ET) | 22:00 | 21:00 |
| Trading resumes (18:00 ET) | 23:00 | 22:00 |
| US data window (08:30 ET) | 13:30 | 12:30 |
| Daily settlement (~13:30 ET) | 18:30 | 17:30 |
| Globex weekly close (Fri 17:00 ET) | Fri 22:00 | Fri 21:00 |
COMEX gold: what to know
Spot vs futures clocks
Spot XAU/USD opens Sunday 17:00 ET and closes Friday 17:00 ET; Globex gold opens an hour later on Sunday and halts daily at 17:00 ET. Weekend answer: does gold trade on weekends?
Daily halt
The 17:00–18:00 ET maintenance halt can widen spot spreads and cause thin quotes around the rollover. Avoid placing market orders into the halt.
Contracts and data
GC and Micro Gold (MGC) share these hours. Volume peaks around the 08:30 ET US data prints and into the London–New York overlap. See LBMA gold fix times for the London benchmark.
COMEX gold hours FAQ
What are COMEX gold trading hours?
COMEX gold futures (GC) trade on CME Globex from Sunday 18:00 ET to Friday 17:00 ET, with a daily halt from 17:00 to 18:00 ET Monday to Thursday.
Why does COMEX reopen an hour after spot gold on Sunday?
Retail spot gold follows the forex gate at 17:00 ET, while CME Globex metals open at 18:00 ET. For that first hour you may see spot quotes with no futures activity.
Does COMEX gold trade on US holidays?
Hours are shortened or the session is skipped on CME holidays such as Good Friday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check the CME notice and see gold market holidays 2026.
Is COMEX the same as spot gold?
No. COMEX lists futures contracts that carry roll and basis; spot XAU/USD is the over-the-counter price. They move together but the schedules differ slightly. See gold vs forex hours and New York gold hours.