Australian data at 11:30 Sydney time and the quiet hours of the European night
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 10:00 am
When Australia releases jobs or inflation numbers, it's usually at 11:30 in the morning Sydney time. For traders in Europe, that falls in the middle of the night. For traders in Asia, it falls in the middle of a live session.
AUDUSD, AUDJPY and AUDNZD react in seconds. The liquidity at that hour is thinner than for a US release, and spreads widen substantially. The first move can be exaggerated relative to the surprise because there are fewer participants to absorb it.
For a scalper in a compatible time zone, the release is an opportunity, with all the usual risks. For one in another zone, it's a reason to check that no positions or pending orders are left open overnight.
Overnight pending orders near Australian data are a classic way to get a bad fill. A buy stop sitting above AUDUSD can be triggered at a poor price in a thin spike that happens while the owner is asleep.
The Reserve Bank's decisions, often announced in the early afternoon Sydney time, bring similar behaviour.
Is there a pair that reliably behaves differently around Australian releases, and has it been traded or avoided?
AUDUSD, AUDJPY and AUDNZD react in seconds. The liquidity at that hour is thinner than for a US release, and spreads widen substantially. The first move can be exaggerated relative to the surprise because there are fewer participants to absorb it.
For a scalper in a compatible time zone, the release is an opportunity, with all the usual risks. For one in another zone, it's a reason to check that no positions or pending orders are left open overnight.
Overnight pending orders near Australian data are a classic way to get a bad fill. A buy stop sitting above AUDUSD can be triggered at a poor price in a thin spike that happens while the owner is asleep.
The Reserve Bank's decisions, often announced in the early afternoon Sydney time, bring similar behaviour.
Is there a pair that reliably behaves differently around Australian releases, and has it been traded or avoided?