What is CME Futures Trading Hours?
CME Globex futures trade nearly 23 hours a day, 5 days a week, opening Sunday at 6:00 PM EST and closing Friday at 5:00 PM EST, with a mandatory 60-minute daily maintenance halt from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST. Most futures prop firms enforce a strict intraday flat deadline between 4:10 PM and 4:59 PM EST.
Mathematical Calculation
While CME Globex remains open until 17:00 EST, futures prop firms require all positions and working orders to be flattened prior to the daily settlement window to prevent illiquid gap risk during the 1-hour halt.
Real-World Numerical Simulation
New York RTH vs Prop Firm Flat Deadlines
9:30 AM EST: US Cash Equity Open (Regular Trading Hours / RTH begins); peak NQ and ES liquidity.
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM EST: Midday lunch chop; volume drops and overtrading losses spike.
4:00 PM EST: US Cash Equity Close; stock market closes while CME futures remain open.
4:10 PM – 4:59 PM EST: Prop Firm Mandatory Flat Window (Apex 4:59 PM EST, MFFU 4:59 PM EST, TradeDay 4:50 PM EST).
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST: CME Globex Daily Maintenance Halt; EOD drawdown high-water marks are finalized.
Golden Hours 1-Click Filter & Playbook Time Window Lockout
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Institutional Comparison Matrix
| Session Segment | Time (New York EST) | Liquidity Profile | Prop Firm Rule Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Globex Open | 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM EST | Low / Range-bound | Permitted for trading; wider spreads on NQ/GC |
| London Open Overlap | 3:00 AM – 8:00 AM EST | Moderate / Directional | Ideal for Gold (GC), Euro (6E), and European indices |
| New York RTH Session | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM EST | Maximum Institutional Volume | Tightest 1-tick spreads; watch 15m red news timers |
| Settlement Close Window | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST | Thinning Liquidity | Mandatory position liquidation across 95% of futures prop firms |
Monitored Prop Firms Applying This Rule
Frequently Asked Questions
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