A Global 24-Hour Market

A Global 24-Hour Market
The forex market is unique in that traders can access a 24-hour market very conveniently, without having to wait for the markets to open. At any time, there is always a major financial center open where banks, hedge funds, corporations, and individual speculators are trading currencies. Traders can trade during anytime of the day or night, and do not have to wait for any markets to be opened before placing their trades. This is particularly beneficial to people who hold nine-to-five jobs since they can trade it without any problems in the evening or night. The market runs 24 hours for 5.5 days a week because markets around the world open and close at different times. In stock or futures markets, you can only actively trade for less than 7 hours a day.

FX market	GMT
Tokyo Open	23:00
Tokyo Close	08:00
London Open	07:00
London Close	16:00
New York Open	12:00
New York Close	21:00

With the stock and futures markets, one would need to have access to electronic communication networks (ECN) for pre-market trading, or would have to wait till the markets open. The chances of the prices gapping up or down against you are high, especially if there have been news while the markets are closed.