DAX opening and closing times: when can you trade?
The DAX is one of the most popular indices in the world, and you get exposure to its constituents via the Germany 30, which tracks the price of the index. Find out how you can trade or invest in the index with IG.
What are the opening and closing times of the DAX?
The DAX opens at 8am and closes at 4.30pm (UK time), Monday to Friday. Deutsche Börse (the Frankfurt Stock Exchange) also calculates the late DAX (4.30pm-9pm UK time) and early DAX (7am-8am UK time) for out-of-hours prices. Note, these hours may vary as the UK and Germany shift to and from daylight savings time.
IG offers longer hours on our Germany 30 market, depending on how you want to trade.
With us, you can trade the Germany 30 non-stop between 11.02pm on Sunday and 10pm on Friday (UK time). You can also access exclusive weekend trading hours for the Germany 30 on Saturday and Sunday. We’re the only UK trading broker to offer this service.
| Germany 30 exchange hours | Germany 30 futures hours | IG Germany 30 hours | |
| Market hours (UK time) | 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday | 12am to 9pm, Monday to Friday | 11.02pm Sunday to 10pm Friday, non-stop1 |
| Weekend hours (UK time) | Not available | Not available | 8am Saturday to 10.40pm Sunday2 |
Note: Hours may vary as countries shift to and from daylight savings on different days.
The above table gives an overview of the Germany 30 trading hours. The index’s hours are based on the DAX opening times. The DAX is the stock exchange where the Germany 30 constituents are listed. These hours are most relevant to investors looking to buy Germany 30 ETFs or shares.
Germany 30 futures continue to trade outside of the exchange’s hours and allow traders to get greater exposure to the index through derivatives. They are priced according to the spot value of the underlying market, plus any spread or commission that you pay for executing your trade.
IG’s Germany 30 hours and pricing are derived from corresponding futures elements, but the hours are longer. This gives traders even more opportunity to realise a profit. Note that the market is priced differently if you trade Germany 30 futures compared to trading the index out of hours or on weekends.
If you want to trade or invest in shares of the companies that are listed on the Germany 30, you could consider trading hours for a specific stock. Go to the IG trading platform, select the shares you’re interested in and check the ‘market data’ tab for each.
Germany 30 pre and post-market trading hours
IG is one of the only UK trading providers to offer pre and post-market trading hours for the Germany 30. You can trade the index from 11.02pm on a Sunday to 10pm on a Friday, and also on weekends – from 8am on Saturday to 10.40pm on Sunday (UK time).
If you have any open positions on a Sunday at 10.40pm, they will roll over into weekday positions at 11.02pm on that same day. Your stops and limits (if placed) will remain in place during the roll-over.
Weekend trading explained
The benefit of weekend trading is that you can speculate on markets over the weekend when you can’t close or adjust your weekday positions. It also gives you the opportunity to trade any news announcements that happen over the weekend without delay.
Take note that the Germany 30 weekend market is called ‘Weekend Germany 30’, and the weekday equivalent is called ‘Germany 30’. The weekend prices for the index are quoted separately, meaning you can use these markets to hedge against weekday positions.
When is the best time to trade the Germany 30?
When you trade the Germany 30 is up to you, but there are certain times when the market is more active. This is when volatility and liquidity may be higher. Activity increases just as the market opens (10am UK time), when company news is released, or when there is an overlap in trading hours of different locations.
When you trade the Germany 30 will depend on your personal preference and risk tolerance. You should always follow your personal trading plan, which should include an risk management strategy.
How to get exposure to the DAX and Germany 30
If you want to gain exposure to the DAX and Germany 30, you can use spread bets or CFDs to speculate on upward or downward price movements of index futures or cash indices. Alternatively, you can get exposure to the DAX and Germany 30 by either buying shares in ETFs that track the price of the index or shares of individual constituents.
Learn more about indices and how to trade them
Footnotes
1Based off Germany 30 futures pricing.
2IG’s ‘weekend Germany 30’ market is a separate market to the weekday ‘Germany 30’ market and prices are quoted separately.
This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.
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