ASX opening and closing times: when can you trade?
With IG, you can trade the Australia 200 – an index that gives you exposure to 200 of the Australian Securities Exchange’s top-weighted stocks. This guide explains when and how you can trade the index.
What are the opening and closing times of the ASX?
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) opens at 12am and closes at 6am (UK time), Monday to Friday. IG’s trading hours are much longer – with us, you can trade the Australia 200 between 11pm on Sunday and 10pm on Friday (UK time).
Remember, the market’s opening hours will change when the UK shifts to daylight savings time.
| Individual Australia 200 shares | Australia 200 cash index | Australia 200 index futures | |
| Underlying market hours (UK time) | 12am to 6am, Monday to Friday | 12am to 6am, Monday to Friday | 1am to 9pm, Monday to Friday |
| IG’s hours (UK time) | 12am to 6am, Monday to Friday | 11pm Sunday to 10pm Friday, non-stop | 11pm Sunday to 10pm Friday, non-stop |
Above is a breakdown of the index’s trading hours. The Australia 200’s hours are based on the ASX opening times. The ASX is the stock exchange where the Australia 200 constituents are listed.
Australia 200 futures continue to trade outside of the ASX’s 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 payable for executing your trade.
IG’s Australia 200 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 Australia 200 futures compared to trading the index out of hours.
You can’t trade the Australia on weekends, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, or other holidays in the UK and Australia. And, if these holidays fall on a Monday, you can’t start trading again on the preceding Sunday night.
For trading hours specific to the shares of companies listed on the Australia 200, go to the IG trading platform and check the ‘market info’ tab on the deal ticket of the individual stock.
Want to trade the Australia 200? Get started by opening an IG account.
When is the best time to trade the Australia 200?
The best time to trade the Australia 200 depends on whether you prefer higher or lower volatility. Many traders prefer trading when the market is more active – when liquidity and volatility are high. This normally happens in one of the following scenarios:
- Just after the open of the ASX at 6am (UK time)
- Following an Australia 200 company’s earnings announcement
- When there is an overlap in trading hours of different geographic locations
IG’s economic calendar has all the details on the developments that may impact the index’s price.
Remember to plan ahead. You can’t trade the Australia 200 on weekends, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, or other days which are holidays in the UK and Oceania.
How to get exposure to the ASX and Australia 200
With IG, you can get exposure to the ASX and Australia 200 via trading. Trading involves speculating on price movements of index futures or cash indices via CFDs. You can start trading with a small deposit (margin), and speculate on rising and falling prices.
Before you start trading in the Australia 200, make sure you have a good plan and risk management strategy in place. This will help you make decisions about how and when to enter and exit the market.
Keen to trade the Australia 200? Try out the IG demo account for free, or take on the markets.
This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Ltd and IG Markets South Africa 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. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
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