Comparisons
Can you trade gold on the weekend? Where and how it works
Yes, you can trade gold on weekends. Compare CME 24/7 gold futures, IG Weekend Spot Gold and gold perpetuals on Alpha: hours, leverage and costs.
Yes, but not on the main gold markets. The most heavily traded gold markets close for the weekend at 5pm ET on Friday and reopen at 6pm ET on Sunday. However, a few products offer exposure to gold and gold prices in between:
- CME 1-Ounce Gold futures have traded 24/7 since July 24, 2026, through futures brokers that support the weekend session.
- IG Weekend Spot Gold runs from Saturday morning to Sunday evening where it's offered.
- Gold perpetual futures trade 24/7. You can trade them from your phone on Alpha, with up to 25x leverage, outside the US, UK, and other prohibited jurisdictions (see Alpha Terms of Use).
The product you want to trade depends on what type of exposure you want and what's available to you. CME's contract offers exposure to the price through futures contracts. IG lets you trade the spot gold price through a spread bet or CFD. Alpha allows you to trade the price of gold from your phone at any hour via perpetual futures contracts through the Hyperliquid order book.
Three common ways to trade gold on a weekend
| CME 1-Ounce Gold futures | IG Weekend Spot Gold | Gold perpetual on Alpha | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend hours | 24/7, with at least a 2-hour weekly maintenance break | Saturday morning to Sunday evening | 24/7 |
| What you trade | A futures contract on 1 troy ounce of gold | A weekend spread bet or CFD | A perpetual contract that tracks the gold price |
| How the weekend price is set | Buyers and sellers on CME's exchange order book | IG sets it from market conditions, client activity and news | The Hyperliquid order book prices gold based on market demand |
| Leverage | Futures margin set by CME and your broker | IG's margin rates, under local rules | Up to 25x |
| Trading cost | Broker commission plus exchange fees | IG's spread | 0.14% with a market order, 0.08% with a resting limit order, plus hourly funding |
| At Sunday's reopen | The same contract keeps trading | Your position rolls into weekday Spot Gold when the weekend session ends | The same position; its price re-anchors to live gold at 6pm ET |
| Who can use it | Clients of futures brokers that support the weekend session | IG clients where it's offered | Anyone in available jurisdictions |
Sources: CME Group, CME Globex notice, IG weekend trading, Alpha fees, trade[XYZ] leverage limits.
How weekend gold prices work
With the main market closed, each weekend product forms its own price. It can differ from the price where gold opens on Sunday night.
- CME: the price is set by buyers and sellers trading on CME's exchange, just as it is during the week.
- IG: IG says it has no real-time underlying data at weekends, so it prices from market conditions, client activity and news flow.
- Hyperliquid: the price starts at Friday's close and then moves with weekend buying and selling. To prevent extreme swings while the main market is closed, it can move at most about 12.5% up or 11.5% down from Friday's close. When the main gold market reopens at 6pm ET on Sunday, the price goes back to tracking it. (trade[XYZ] price limits)
Are weekend prices any good? A Blockworks Research study, funded by the Hyperliquid Policy Center, looked at 614 weekends across Hyperliquid's stock, commodity and currency markets. When the weekend move topped 1%, the weekend price called the direction of the reopen correctly 94.9% of the time. Weekend order books were thinner, though: within 0.1% of the price, depth was 41% of weekday levels.
How to trade gold this weekend on Alpha
- Download the Alpha App from tradealpha.app.
- Fund your account.
- Open Gold from the Trade tab. It's open 24/7.
- Choose long if you think gold will rise, or short if you think it will fall.
- Set your amount and leverage, up to 25x.
- Check the fee and liquidation price on the confirmation screen, then confirm.
- Close whenever you like.
Say you put up $200 margin at 5x, for a $1,000 gold position. A market order costs $1.40 to open ($0.50 Alpha fee plus $0.90 Hyperliquid fee) and $1.40 to close. A 2% move in gold on a $1,000 position is $20, or 10% of your $200, in either direction. While you hold, a very small hourly leverage fee (funding) passes between longs and shorts, keeping the contract price in balance; the market screen shows the current rate (Alpha leverage fee).
Risks
Leverage magnifies losses as well as gains, and a leveraged position can be liquidated, losing the margin behind it. Weekend order books are thinner, so prices can jump and orders can fill away from the price you expect. The weekend price can also differ from where gold opens on Sunday night, and funding is charged every hour you hold.
FAQ
Is the gold market open on weekends?
The main gold futures and spot markets close from 5pm ET Friday to 6pm Sunday ET. CME's 1-Ounce Gold futures, IG Weekend Spot Gold and gold perpetuals on Hyperliquid, accessed via Alpha, keep trading.
What time does gold open on Sunday?
6pm ET, when CME Globex reopens gold futures and spot gold trading resumes.
Do I own gold if I trade it on a weekend via the three common products mentioned above?
No. All three are contracts that track the gold price.
What happens to my weekend position when the market reopens?
On CME and Alpha, the position stays open and tracks the live price. IG rolls its weekend position into a weekday Spot Gold position, keeping any stops and limits.
Related reading
Sources
- CME Group: Traders drive strong demand in first weekend of 24/7 gold futures (July 27, 2026)
- CME Globex notice: 1-Ounce Gold futures expansion to 24/7 trading (July 2026)
- IG: Weekend trading
- trade[XYZ]: Commodities, Discovery bounds, Oracle price
- Alpha: Fees and Leverage fee
- Blockworks Research: Price discovery in Hyperliquid's weekend markets (funded by the Hyperliquid Policy Center)
Disclaimer
Not Financial Advice. This content is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please consult a qualified financial professional before making any trading or investment decisions.
Nature of Services. Alpha is a non-custodial software interface only and is not a trading venue, broker, dealer, intermediary, or investment adviser. Alpha does not execute or handle trades, custody assets, or hold user funds. All transactions are executed and settled directly between users and third-party protocols (such as Hyperliquid), subject to their terms and applicable restrictions. Use at your own risk.
Risk Warning. Trading involves significant risk of loss, including the potential loss of your entire investment. Do not trade with money you cannot afford to lose. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
No Invitation to Trade. Nothing in this content constitutes an invitation to trade, an inducement to engage in any investment activity, or a recommendation to enter into any trade or transaction. This content should not be relied upon in connection with any trading or investment decision.
Jurisdiction. Alpha's services regarding perpetual contracts accessed via Hyperliquid are not available to persons located in, resident in, or citizens of the United States, and no US person may participate in Alpha's platform, waitlist, or any associated rewards program regarding perpetual contracts accessed via Hyperliquid. This communication is not directed at residents of the United Kingdom pursuant to the FCA's financial promotion rules for cryptoassets, or to residents of the United States. This content does not constitute an offer or solicitation to any person in the United States, the United Kingdom, or in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. Alpha's services may not be available in all other jurisdictions. It is your sole responsibility to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction before accessing or using Alpha's services.
Not Financial Advice. This content is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please consult a qualified financial professional before making any trading or investment decisions.
Nature of Services. Alpha is a non-custodial software interface only and is not a trading venue, broker, dealer, intermediary, or investment adviser. Alpha does not execute or handle trades, custody assets, or hold user funds. All transactions are executed and settled directly between users and third-party protocols (such as Hyperliquid), subject to their terms and applicable restrictions. Use at your own risk.
Risk Warning. Trading involves significant risk of loss, including the potential loss of your entire investment. Do not trade with money you cannot afford to lose.
No Invitation to Trade. Nothing in this content constitutes an invitation to trade, an inducement to engage in any investment activity, or a recommendation to enter into any trade or transaction. This content should not be relied upon in connection with any trading or investment decision.
Jurisdiction. Alpha's services are not available to persons located in, resident in, or citizens of the United States, and no US person may participate in Alpha's platform, waitlist, or any associated rewards program. This communication is not directed at residents of the United Kingdom pursuant to the FCA's financial promotion rules for cryptoassets, or to residents of the United States. This content does not constitute an offer or solicitation to any person in the United States, the United Kingdom, or in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. Alpha's services may not be available in all other jurisdictions. It is your sole responsibility to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction before accessing or using Alpha's services.