What Are the Best Forex Pairs to Trade During Each Session?

Time is money, they say. Timing is crucial in the forex market because it operates around the clock. Profits are maximised by appropriate timing. There are four main trading sessions that include the Sydney session, the Tokyo session, the London session, and the New York session. Since the majority of banks and firms in each of the four powerhouse regions conduct their daily businesses online, there is also a higher concentration of traders during these times. As a result, the markets are most active during these times.

New York and London are the two busiest time zones. The busiest time is when these two trading sessions (New York morning and London afternoon) coincide. With trillions of dollars in value changing hands, it makes up the majority of the volume transacted during the day. Consequently, forex brokers see the most action during this time, whether they offer a-book execution or b-book execution.

The best forex pairings to trade throughout each session might vary depending on a number of variables, such as market trends, volatility, and liquidity. Let’s see what are the best forex pairs to trade during each session.

Sydney Session

The Sydney session includes Australia and New Zealand, with the Australian Dollar and New Zealand Dollar being the most active currencies. The Sydney Forex session runs from 10 PM to 7 AM GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). While the optimal currency combination for you depends on where you reside and trade, the USDJPY currency pair has a lot of movement during this session.

The AUDUSD currency combination is one of the most popular in the forex market. This session’s best pairs are AUDUSD, AUDJPY, NZDUSD, and USDJPY. The Australian and New Zealand markets are active throughout this session, resulting in increased liquidity in the AUD and NZD pairs.

Tokyo Session/Asian Session

Although there is no specific timing for the Tokyo trading session, activity often peaks between 8 am and 4 pm Japan time. The London market takes over as the major market for currency dealers after 4 p.m. Japan time. Compared to the London and New York sessions, the volatility average for the Tokyo session is lower.

When compared to the London and New York sessions, the Tokyo session offers fewer markets with favourable trading prospects, thus the choice of forex pairs is crucial. High trading activity in the Japanese Yen (JPY) is seen during this session, which coincides with the Sydney session. In the Tokyo session, the top currency pairs to trade include USDJPY, EURJPY, and AUDJPY.

London Session/European session

A popular belief is that the optimum time to trade the major currency pairings involving the Euro (EUR) and the British Pound (GBP) is during the London session, one of the busiest and most volatile periods. The slower Tokyo market precedes the London session, and traders should typically expect volatility to rise as prices shift from liquidity sources based in the UK.

The average hourly move on several of the main currency pairings will frequently climb when prices start to filter in from London. Much more easily than during the Asian session, when volatility is typically lower, support and resistance may be breached. These ideas are fundamental to a trader’s strategy when making bets during the London session since traders can try to take advantage of this volatility by trading breakouts.

Just before the Asian trading session ends, the European session takes over and keeps the currency market lively. Numerous important financial markets are located in this Forex time zone, which is particularly congested. London has had the privilege of setting the rules for the European session. The London session runs from 08:00 to 17:00 GMT. The top forex pairs to trade during this session include the USDEUR, GBPUSD, and EURGBP.

New York Session/North American session

For currency traders, the New York session, which runs from 13:00 to 22:00 GMT, is crucial. Several of the most important currency pairings are traded during this session. The New York session is well-known for its strong volatility and liquidity, which makes it appropriate for trading the most important USD pairings.

The major forex pairs which are EURUSD, USDJPY, GBPUSD, EURJPY, GBPJPY, and USDCHF are the best to trade during the New York session. The EURUSD is normally the most liquid of these pairings during the US session. Since spreads are less as a result of the liquidity, trading expenses will be cheaper. 

Final thoughts

Remember that market conditions can change from day to day, and unforeseen news releases or events can have a big impact on how currency pairs behave. When choosing the optimal sessions and currency pairs for trading, traders should also take their trading methods, risk tolerance, and personal schedules into account.

Additionally, it is a good idea to keep an eye on economic calendars to be informed of future news releases, as these can boost volatility and have an impact on the trading environment for particular currency pairs. Furthermore, to safeguard their investments from potential negative price fluctuations, traders should employ risk management techniques like stop-loss and take-profit orders.