XAUUSD spread and swap in MT5: why the spread jumps at rollover and what swap costs

In short: The XAUUSD spread most likely widens at the daily rollover and at the Sunday open because fewer firms quote gold then. Swap is charged or credited only on positions held past the broker's rollover: lots × the swap value in your Specification, ×3 on the triple-swap day, so a position held all week pays 7 nights' worth.

Looking for today's open and close times? The live gold trading hours today page shows whether the gold market is open now, when it opens and closes in your time zone, and the broker's server time. This article is about what those hours cost: spread at rollover, swap and triple swap.

Hours in short: XAUUSD is not open 24/7: gold trades from Sunday 18:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time, with a one-hour break every day; your broker sets the exact hours, spread and swap.

COMEX gold futures trade from Sunday 18:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time, with a one-hour break every day from 17:00 (21:00 or 22:00 UTC, depending on daylight saving). XAUUSD at an MT5 broker often has a similar weekly shape, but the broker, not the exchange, sets your exact hours, spread and swap. Read them in the symbol Specification.

Money figures are arithmetic of settings, not a forecast, calculated on 8 October 2026 as in the grid calculator and the stop-out arithmetic article: cent account, $1,000, 11-order doubling grid (lot 0.01, ×2, step $1.95), gold at $4,170, 1:2000, stop-out 40%. The spreads are example numbers, not any broker's quotes.

What is XAUUSD, and is it a forex pair, a CFD or a futures contract?

XAUUSD is the price of gold (XAU) in US dollars (USD). At an MT5 broker it is that broker's own quote, not the exchange futures contract: COMEX gold futures on CME Globex are only the public reference for its schedule.

Some accounts add a suffix to the name (XAUUSDc, XAUUSD.c), and the chart and the EA must use the name exactly as Market Watch shows it. Contract size and sessions are in the symbol Specification. Whether the broker's terms call it a CFD or something else is set in those terms and the Specification; we give no legal or tax classification.

What are the XAUUSD trading hours, and is it open on weekends?

XAUUSD does not trade 24/7: the week closes on Friday at 17:00 New York time and opens on Sunday at 18:00, with a one-hour break every day from 17:00. That is the COMEX gold futures schedule, the public reference; a broker's XAUUSD often has a similar shape, but the broker picks the minutes.

Gold has no single opening bell: there is the global market and the XAUUSD quote your broker publishes. Only the broker's schedule decides when your EA can place an order, but the exchange schedule is the public reference: COMEX gold futures on CME Globex trade Sunday to Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. New York time, with a one-hour break every day from 5:00 p.m. (CME Group).

Holidays change this. A broker's XAUUSD often has a similar weekly shape, but the broker picks the minutes, which can differ by weekday.

Converting to server time. The terminal shows the broker's server time, not yours: Market Watch shows the last quote's arrival time in the server's time zone (MetaTrader 5 Help). The offset differs by broker (UTC+2 or UTC+3, for example), and a server may shift it with daylight saving, so measure yours with the script below. Then UTC = server time − offset.

To see these hours in your own time zone, with a live open or closed status and the broker's server time, use the gold trading hours clock.

Why is the XAUUSD market closed right now?

The usual reasons are the weekend (closed from Friday 17:00 to Sunday 18:00 New York time), the one-hour daily break from 17:00, a holiday schedule, or a symbol set to close-only. Read Sessions and the trade mode in the Specification; a page cannot tell you for a particular day.

Which sessions are busy, and which are thin?

"Session" means the working day of a financial centre: a habit of speech, not a rule. The table uses an office-hours convention, so read it as a rough map.

The World Gold Council puts average daily gold trading in 2025 at US$361bn, with more than US$180bn a day in London over-the-counter trading and US$114bn a day on COMEX (WGC Gold Market Primer, 18 August 2026). London's time zone bridges Asian and US hours, and a growing share of COMEX volume trades in Asian hours (WGC). The LBMA Gold Price is set in two auctions a day, on London time (ICE Benchmark Administration).

No source splits volume by hour, so "busy" is reasoning, not measurement. Most likely the hours when London and New York both work carry the most orders and the late New York evening the fewest; only your own spread log shows your broker's pattern. Scheduled releases are a separate topic: gold on news days; slower drivers: what moves the gold price.

Why is the XAUUSD spread so high at rollover and at the Sunday open?

The XAUUSD spread, Ask minus Bid, is what the quote costs the moment you open, and it most likely widens at rollover and at the Sunday open because fewer firms quote gold then. Think of an exchange booth. With many customers it keeps the gap between buy and sell rates narrow; late at night, with few, it widens the gap.

Rollover is the end of the broker's trading day. The time is the broker's choice; 17:00 New York time, the minute the COMEX break starts, is a common convention (check yours). Most likely fewer firms quote gold at that minute, the COMEX futures market pauses, and the broker's systems run their daily settlement. A broker may pause quotes for a few minutes or keep quoting at a wide spread.

The Sunday open is the first quote after two days without trading, built on thin liquidity, so the spread can start wide and narrow as participants arrive. How wide, and for how long, is your broker's business. We found no public dataset of XAUUSD spread by hour, so there are no figures here.

What is a gap at the weekly open?

A gap is the difference between the last price before the close and the first price after the open. News that arrives while the market is closed shows up all at once on Sunday evening. A stop order or a stop-out cannot fill inside a gap: it fills at the first price available. For what that does to a stop-out, see Can a forex account go negative?.

How do you see your own spread and sessions?

Open Market Watch (Ctrl+M, hot keys), right-click XAUUSD, choose Specification (MetaTrader 5 Help). Read:

• Spread, in points, or marked floating. With 2 digits one point is 0.01 (30 points = 0.30); with 3 digits it is 0.001 (300 points = 0.30).
• Swap type, Swap long, Swap short and Swap rates, the multiplier for each day of the week.
• Sessions at the bottom, per weekday, plus Digits and Contract size.

This script prints the server offset to UTC and the trade sessions: create it in MetaEditor (File → New → Script), press F7, drag it onto a chart, read the Experts tab of the Toolbox (Ctrl+T). The computer's clock and time zone must be correct (TimeTradeServer, TimeGMT).

#property script_show_inputs
input string InpSymbol = "XAUUSD";   // exact symbol name in your Market Watch

void OnStart()
  {
   SymbolSelect(InpSymbol, true);
   datetime srv = TimeTradeServer();
   datetime gmt = TimeGMT();
   PrintFormat("Server time %s | UTC %s | offset %+.1f h",
               TimeToString(srv, TIME_DATE | TIME_MINUTES),
               TimeToString(gmt, TIME_DATE | TIME_MINUTES),
               (double)(srv - gmt) / 3600.0);
   for(int d = SUNDAY; d <= SATURDAY; d++)
     {
      datetime from, to;
      for(uint i = 0; SymbolInfoSessionTrade(InpSymbol, (ENUM_DAY_OF_WEEK)d, i, from, to); i++)
         PrintFormat("%s session %u: %s - %s",
                     EnumToString((ENUM_DAY_OF_WEEK)d), i,
                     TimeToString(from, TIME_MINUTES), TimeToString(to, TIME_MINUTES));
     }
  }

Sessions come back as seconds from midnight (MQL5 reference). The reference does not name their time zone, so compare them with the Sessions list in the Specification and your broker's schedule; a session that ends at midnight prints as 00:00. To see spread through the day, log it once a minute for a week and read the maximum per hour.

What does the spread cost a grid?

A grid pays the spread on every order, and the lots double, so the cost sits at the end. At a fixed 0.30 per lot, the full basket (20.47 lots) carries 20.47 × 0.30 = 6.14 USD and the 11th order alone (10.24 lots) carries 3.07 USD, half of it; the first order carries 0.003. On the cent account the calculator assumes, 1.00 lot moves $1 per $1 of gold, so these are real dollars. A Buy basket is valued at the Bid, so room to stop-out shrinks by exactly the spread:

This is one constant spread. The last, largest order opens after the deepest move, often in a fast market, and nobody can schedule that. The margin calculator shows the margin side.

What is swap, when is it charged, and what is triple swap?

Swap is a charge or credit for keeping a position open past the broker's daily rollover; a position closed before it normally pays none. Long and short have separate values, and the swap type sets the unit. MetaTrader 5 knows several types (MQL5 reference, MQL5 book); three matter most here:

• Points: the value is in points. The pages above do not give the conversion to money, so check it against the swap of a position you actually held overnight.
• Money, in the symbol's, margin, deposit or profit currency. It is normally an amount per 1.00 lot, so money = swap × lots. On a cent account the deposit currency is usually shown as US cents.
• Annual interest of the instrument's current price (a variant uses the position's open price), on a 360-day bank year. Nightly swap per ounce = rate × price ÷ 360.

Two more types reopen the position at the end of each day with a shift in points; if you see one, ask your broker how it is charged.

The triple swap is a weekday multiplier of 3, usually explained as covering the weekend. MT5 Help's example uses Wednesday; your broker picks the day, so read the Swap rates line. With multipliers 1, 1, 3, 1, 1 a position held all week pays 7 nights' worth.

Worked example with a placeholder, not a broker value. The full basket of 20.47 lots holds the price risk of 20.47 ounces. If your Specification says annual interest, each 1 percentage point of rate costs 20.47 × 4,170 × 1% ÷ 360 = 2.37 USD per night, 7.11 on a triple night, 16.60 over a week of 1, 1, 3, 1, 1. If it says money per lot, the nightly charge is 20.47 × your swap value (61.41 × on a triple night). A locked basket, Buy and Sell open together, carries the swap of both legs.

Daylight saving 2026: what moves between 25 October and 1 November

Updated 25 October 2026

In short: the EU and the UK moved to winter time on 25 October, the US only on 1 November 2026. Gold follows New York clocks, so in the week of 26–30 October its hours in UTC do not change (open Sunday 22:00 UTC, break 21:00–22:00 UTC), and from 1 November everything moves one hour later (open 23:00 UTC, break 22:00–23:00 UTC).

The UK puts its clocks back on Sunday 25 October 2026 (GOV.UK), the EU on the same day, the last Sunday of October (Directive 2000/84/EC); the US on Sunday 1 November at 2:00 local time (NIST).

In the gap week London is on GMT while New York is still on summer time: the two are 4 hours apart instead of 5, and their working days overlap for 5 hours (12:00–17:00 UTC) instead of 4.

Your server's clock matters more. A server on New York close (the setup of most gold brokers) changes its clock with the US: it stays on UTC+3 in the gap week and moves to UTC+2 on 1 November, so gold opens on it at 01:00 on Monday all year. If your server changed with Europe on 25 October, every time on it is one hour earlier in the gap week (open 00:00, break 23:00–00:00, Friday close 23:00); from 1 November both setups agree. Some servers never change. Run the script above on Monday 26 October and on Monday 2 November and compare. The "New baskets, server hour" window on the Midas Grid tab is in server time (Panel settings explained): on a UTC+2 server the 06:00–22:00 window is 04:00–20:00 UTC, one hour later than in summer.

Holidays: when the gold market is closed

Updated 25 October 2026

In short: gold has four holiday days until January 2027. On Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November) it halts from 13:30 New York time (18:30 UTC) until the evening, on 27 November it closes early at 13:45 (18:45 UTC), on 24 December it closes early at 13:45, and on 25 December and 1 January it is closed all day and opens again on Sunday evening.

This is a provisional schedule that follows the holiday hours CME used in past years (CME Group holiday calendar): the exchange confirms each holiday's hours about two weeks ahead, and we will check them and update this article. On holidays a broker's XAUUSD often closes earlier and opens later than the exchange, and the spread around holiday pauses is wider than usual; the exact hours are in the Sessions section of the symbol specification and in your broker's notices. The gold trading hours clock shows a live open or closed status that includes these pauses.

How do you start trading XAUUSD, and what should you check first?

Before a first trade, check that your account offers XAUUSD and read its terms. This is a checklist, not a trading idea or a view on direction.

1. Find XAUUSD in Market Watch (Ctrl+M) under the exact name your broker uses.
2. Open the Specification and read Spread, Swap type, Swap long, Swap short, Sessions, Digits and Contract size.
3. Convert the sessions to your server time with the script above.
4. Learn what moves the price (what moves the gold price) and when scheduled releases land (gold on news days).
5. Work out the worst case for your position size before the first order: a martingale-style grid can lose the entire deposit (grid calculator).

What can go wrong?

Everything above is a schedule on paper. Brokers can change hours around holidays, sometimes at short notice, and spread can be wide at any time. A martingale-style grid keeps adding size while price moves against it, and a long enough move reaches stop-out. A grid can lose the entire deposit, and the tables leave out commission, slippage, gaps and leverage changes.

Midas is an Expert Advisor for MetaTrader 5 that trades gold with a grid, on hedging cent accounts. For the product, see Risk, plainly. Terms such as basket and rollover are in the grid EA glossary.

This is arithmetic of the settings, not a forecast. A grid can lose the entire deposit. Nothing here is individual investment advice. Hours, spread and swap are set by your broker: check that the broker accepts clients from your country and read its terms.

Midas · figures calculated and sources retrieved on 8 October 2026.

FAQ

What is XAUUSD, and is it the same as gold?

XAU is the code for gold and USD is the US dollar, so XAUUSD is the price of gold in dollars. Your broker's XAUUSD is its own quote, not the COMEX futures contract. Some accounts add a suffix (XAUUSDc, XAUUSD.c) that must match Market Watch exactly. Contract size and sessions are in the Specification, so read them there.

What are the XAUUSD (gold) trading hours?

COMEX gold futures open Sunday at 6:00 p.m. New York time and close Friday at 5:00 p.m., with a one-hour break every day from 5:00 p.m. In UTC that is Sunday 22:00 to Friday 21:00 in US summer time and 23:00 to 22:00 in winter time. A broker's XAUUSD often has a similar shape, but the minutes are the broker's: read Sessions in the Specification.

Is XAUUSD open on weekends, and does it trade 24/7?

No. COMEX gold futures close on Friday at 17:00 New York time and reopen on Sunday at 18:00, with a one-hour break every day from 17:00. A broker's XAUUSD often has a similar shape but may differ, so read Sessions in the Specification. News that arrives while the market is closed shows up all at once on Sunday evening, as a gap.

Why is the XAUUSD spread so high at some times?

The spread is Ask minus Bid. It most likely widens when fewer firms quote gold: around the daily pause near 17:00 New York time, at the Sunday open, and when quotes move fast. Sizes differ by broker and account type, and we publish no figures. A week of your own spread log shows your pattern.

How is XAUUSD swap calculated, and is there a swap-free account?

Swap is the long or short value in your Specification, converted by the swap type (points, money or annual interest, among others), times lots, times the weekday multiplier (3 on the triple day). Some brokers offer swap-free accounts on their own conditions, and a fee or restriction can replace the swap. It depends on the broker and your country, so read the terms first.

What is the best EA for gold scalping on XAUUSD?

There is no single best, and we name none. A scalper takes many small trades, so spread and execution decide how much of each move it keeps; this page works out what the spread costs a grid. Judge any EA by criteria: lots at full depth, any stop and a live statement you can open yourself. Midas, the EA we sell, is a grid EA with a trailing exit.

What time does gold open after the clocks change to winter time?

From Sunday 1 November 2026 and all winter gold opens at 18:00 New York time: that is 23:00 UTC, 02:00 on Monday in Moscow and 01:00 on Monday on an MT5 server on New York close (UTC+2). The daily break is 22:00–23:00 UTC. In the week of 26–30 October, when Europe had already moved to winter time and the US had not, the summer schedule applied: open at 22:00 UTC, break 21:00–22:00 UTC.

Is the gold market open on holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year?

Partly. Following the CME pattern of past years: on 26 November 2026 (Thanksgiving) trading halts from 13:30 to 18:00 New York time (18:30–23:00 UTC), on 27 November it closes early at 13:45 (18:45 UTC), on 24 December it closes early at 13:45, and on 25 December and 1 January 2027 it is closed all day and opens on Sunday at 18:00 New York time (23:00 UTC). The exchange confirms the hours about two weeks ahead, and a broker may close XAUUSD earlier: check Sessions in the symbol specification.