London · GBP
Trading US futures from the UK
London is 4 hours ahead of New York until 31 Oct 2026, so the US stock market opens at 13:30 your time and the CME week starts Sunday 22:00. Below: every CME moment that matters, in London time; the weeks the gap changes; who regulates a broker for UK residents; how futures gains are taxed; and how to test an idea before you put money behind it.
- Gap to New York
- +4 h
- until 31 Oct 2026
- US stock market opens
- 13:30
- London time
- CME week opens
- 22:00
- Sunday
- Gap changes
- 2×
- in the next twelve months
CME hours in London time
Each column is a stretch of the next twelve months with one gap to New York, read from the same time-zone database your phone uses. Exchange holidays shorten some sessions; the market calendar lists them.
| Moment | New YorkEastern time | London+5 h, most of the year | London+4 h, 29 Oct – 31 Oct 2026, 14 Mar – 27 Mar 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CME Globex week opens | Sunday6:00 p.m. | Sunday23:00 | Sunday22:00 |
| US economic dataCPI, the jobs report, GDP, retail sales | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 | 12:30 |
| US stock market opensThe index futures' busiest hours begin | 9:30 a.m. | 14:30 | 13:30 |
| First half-hour closesThe screener's built-in ideas take their first reading here | 10:00 a.m. | 15:00 | 14:00 |
| EIA energy reportsCrude stocks on Wednesday, gas storage on Thursday | 10:30 a.m. | 15:30 | 14:30 |
| Gold and silver settle | 1:30 p.m. | 18:30 | 17:30 |
| Fed decision (FOMC days)Eight scheduled meetings a year | 2:00 p.m. | 19:00 | 18:00 |
| Crude oil and natural gas settle | 2:30 p.m. | 19:30 | 18:30 |
| US stock market closesIndex futures settle; the regular session ends | 4:00 p.m. | 21:00 | 20:00 |
| Daily halt beginsTrading resumes an hour later | 5:00 p.m. | 22:00 | 21:00 |
| CME Globex week closes | Friday5:00 p.m. | Friday22:00 | Friday21:00 |
The weeks the gap changes
The US moves its clocks on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November. The UK moves on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October: two or three weeks after the US in spring, one week before it in autumn.
- Most of the year, London is 5 hours ahead of New York: the US open lands at 14:30 instead of 13:30.
A broker with CME access
Through FCA-authorised brokers that offer exchange-traded futures. The FCA's restrictions on CFDs and binary options do not cover them, but a broker will assess whether complex products are appropriate for you.
How futures gains are taxed
For most individuals, gains on futures traded on a recognised exchange fall under capital gains tax; HMRC considers it unlikely that an individual is trading, though that is a question of fact. Spread bets are a different product, taxed differently.
General information, not tax advice; rules turn on your own circumstances. HMRC, Capital Gains Manual CG56004, checked October 12, 2026.
Testing an idea from the UK
Everything runs in a browser and is priced in US dollars; your card issuer does the conversion. A screen reads the US tape, so a trader in London gets the same tick history, the same gates and the same verdict as one in Chicago. A screen reads the regular session, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET (13:30 to 20:00 in London), or, on the markets with 24-hour data, the whole Globex session.
- The screenerFree · Pro $29/mo · Pro Max $59/moDescribe an idea in plain English and screen it against tick data. One screen, verdict only free; 10 screens a month on Pro.
- Sierra Chart studies2 free · from $9.99Indicators for your own Sierra Chart charts: free session levels and market internals, smart money concepts, and supply and demand zones.
Trading from the UK: questions
- What time do US futures open in London?
- CME Globex opens for the week at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, which is Sunday 22:00 in London until 31 Oct 2026. From then it trades around the clock until Friday, with a one-hour halt every weekday from 5:00 p.m. ET (21:00 in London).
- What time does the US stock market open in London time?
- The New York cash session opens at 9:30 a.m. ET, 13:30 in London until 31 Oct 2026, and closes at 4:00 p.m. ET (20:00). The index futures trade before and after it, but their heaviest volume sits inside it. Most US economic data lands an hour earlier, at 8:30 a.m. ET (12:30).
- When does the time difference between London and New York change?
- London is 4 hours ahead of New York until 31 Oct 2026. Most of the year it is 5 hours ahead of New York. The two countries move their clocks on different dates, and every CME time shifts by the same amount in London while they disagree.
- How are futures gains taxed in the UK?
- For most individuals, gains on futures traded on a recognised exchange fall under capital gains tax; HMRC considers it unlikely that an individual is trading, though that is a question of fact. Spread bets are a different product, taxed differently. This is general information, not tax advice.
- Can I use Waypoint from the UK?
- Yes. The screener and the calculators run in a browser, and everything is priced in US dollars.A screen tests a trading idea against US futures tick history and returns a verdict; it places no trades, and nothing on the site is advice to trade. To trade, the usual route: through FCA-authorised brokers that offer exchange-traded futures. The FCA's restrictions on CFDs and binary options do not cover them, but a broker will assess whether complex products are appropriate for you.
Screen an idea from London
Write the idea in plain English after the close, 20:00 your time, and have the verdict before the next session opens. Real per-fill costs, a drift null and a walk-forward, written down before the run.