Weekend gap risk for traders who think they are flat

[Amanhasnoname]

Being flat on Friday evening doesn't always mean being safe. Pending orders, forgotten positions on other accounts and automated systems can all carry exposure into the weekend.

When the market reopens, price can gap, sometimes by dozens of pips after major news over the weekend. Pending stop orders trigger at the open price, not at their set level, and can fill far from where the trader intended.

A pre-weekend routine helps. Check every account and platform for open positions and pending orders. Delete anything not meant to be live. Make sure automated systems are paused if they are not designed for the open.

It's a simple process that can be put on a checklist, and it takes two minutes.

Weekend events such as elections, geopolitical developments and central bank meetings are visible in advance. Knowing the calendar for the weekend adds to the picture.

Stories of large Sunday gaps almost always begin with an order that was forgotten.

Do you have a Friday checklist, and what is on it?