When the futures market takes a break

[Amanhasnoname]

Currency futures trade almost around the clock, but there is a short daily pause around the New York afternoon, and a longer one at the weekend. Those halts affect the information available from futures-based tools.

When the futures market is closed, volume data and the order book are unavailable. Spot continues to trade, but the cross-checks disappear. During those windows, signals based on futures data go stale.

There is also the daily settlement time, which can produce unusual flows. Positions are marked and adjusted, and some price movement appears around that moment.

For anyone using futures-derived indicators, knowing the schedule avoids confusion. A flat volume reading at 5pm New York is not a sign of quiet markets, just a feed that has paused.

Also holiday schedules differ between the futures exchange and the spot market, so on some holidays only one is active, producing mismatches.

Does your analysis account for the times when futures data is unavailable?