EU/London Session Cheatsheet: Trading Europe’s Open

A practical guide to navigating Europe’s most active trading hours—the London session—and spotting opportunities in FX, indices, and commodities.

Why London matters

The London session (~8:00 AM–4:30 PM UK time) is the largest FX hub in the world and a key equity market center. Liquidity and volatility spike as European cash equity markets open, with heavy flows in EUR, GBP, and cross-asset hedges.

Key markets to watch

• FX: EURUSD, GBPUSD, EURGBP, USDCHF — London is the core of global FX turnover.
• Indices: DAX (Germany), FTSE 100 (UK), Euro Stoxx 50 (Europe).
• Rates & Bonds: Bunds, Gilts, Euribor futures.
• Commodities: Brent crude, gold, base metals reacting to EU demand/supply flows.

Volatility windows

• 7:00-8:00 AM UK: Pre-market positioning, futures active.
• 8:00-9:00 AM UK: Cash equity open; biggest FX and index volatility burst.
• 10:00 AM UK: Eurozone data (PMIs, CPI, GDP).
• 12:30-1:30 PM UK: Overlap with US data releases (jobless claims, CPI, NFP).

Common setups

• Breakouts on Euro/GBP pairs: Often occur in first hour of London cash equity trading.
• Reversals after Asia: If Asia moved strongly, London sometimes fades extremes.
• Data-driven trades: Eurozone/UK releases frequently surprise and move markets.
• Cross-asset checks: Oil and gold flows often align with EUR/GBP direction.

How to track on finstrument.ai

Head to the Markets Overview for real-time indices, FX, and commodities. Use Heatmaps to spot which European sectors or currencies are leading. Prepare using the Economic Calendar for Eurozone & UK releases.