Last-scalp cutoff rules around Friday 21:00 GMT
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2026 10:44 am
The FX week winds down on Friday afternoon, with liquidity dropping steeply into the 21:00–22:00 GMT close. Some traders keep scalping until late Friday evening, but conditions deteriorate.
What happens as the close approaches:
- Spreads on majors widen, sometimes doubling or tripling.
- Crosses and exotics widen much more.
- Price moves become erratic with little follow-through.
- Brokers may restrict new positions or change margin requirements before the weekend.
- Any open position risks the weekend gap.
Cutoff rules worth considering:
- Last new trade: 18:00 GMT on Fridays.
- All positions closed: 19:00 GMT.
- If the week's target is reached by Friday morning, no Friday trading.
- No trades in the final 30 minutes of any week, regardless of conditions.
The opportunity cost of stopping early on Friday is small. The risk of weekend exposure or a poor fill near the close is real.
What's your Friday cutoff time? Do you ever trade the last hour?
What happens as the close approaches:
- Spreads on majors widen, sometimes doubling or tripling.
- Crosses and exotics widen much more.
- Price moves become erratic with little follow-through.
- Brokers may restrict new positions or change margin requirements before the weekend.
- Any open position risks the weekend gap.
Cutoff rules worth considering:
- Last new trade: 18:00 GMT on Fridays.
- All positions closed: 19:00 GMT.
- If the week's target is reached by Friday morning, no Friday trading.
- No trades in the final 30 minutes of any week, regardless of conditions.
The opportunity cost of stopping early on Friday is small. The risk of weekend exposure or a poor fill near the close is real.
What's your Friday cutoff time? Do you ever trade the last hour?