Daylight Saving Time: The Twice-Yearly Trap in Your Schedule
Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2026 4:20 pm
Daylight Saving Time: The Twice-Yearly Trap in Your Schedule
Clocks change in spring and autumn in the United States and Europe, but not on the same dates. That mismatch creates a few weeks each year when session times shift relative to each other.
The United States moves its clocks on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. Most of Europe, including the UK, changes on the last Sunday in March and October. Between those dates, the gap between New York and London is four hours instead of the usual five.
The effects are practical. The London and New York overlap shortens or shifts in your local time. Economic releases scheduled at fixed local times in one country appear at different times in your time zone. Many brokers adjust server time for daylight saving, shifting candles and the daily close.
Countries near the equator, and many others, do not use daylight saving, so your own schedule may stay constant while the markets shift around it.
The risk is mistiming. A news release you thought was at a certain hour arrives an hour earlier or later, catching you in a position. Or your strategy based on the London open at a specific clock time gets out of sync.
Calendars with local time conversion help, as do platform settings.
Check how your broker handles server time changes, and review your session times twice a year.
Practical step: add reminders for each clock change date to review your session schedule and calendar settings.
Clocks change in spring and autumn in the United States and Europe, but not on the same dates. That mismatch creates a few weeks each year when session times shift relative to each other.
The United States moves its clocks on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. Most of Europe, including the UK, changes on the last Sunday in March and October. Between those dates, the gap between New York and London is four hours instead of the usual five.
The effects are practical. The London and New York overlap shortens or shifts in your local time. Economic releases scheduled at fixed local times in one country appear at different times in your time zone. Many brokers adjust server time for daylight saving, shifting candles and the daily close.
Countries near the equator, and many others, do not use daylight saving, so your own schedule may stay constant while the markets shift around it.
The risk is mistiming. A news release you thought was at a certain hour arrives an hour earlier or later, catching you in a position. Or your strategy based on the London open at a specific clock time gets out of sync.
Calendars with local time conversion help, as do platform settings.
Check how your broker handles server time changes, and review your session times twice a year.
Practical step: add reminders for each clock change date to review your session schedule and calendar settings.