Asian session
The overnight session driven by Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore, typically quieter and range-bound.
Full explanation
The Asian session covers roughly 00:00 to 08:00 UK time, with Tokyo the dominant centre and Sydney opening earlier. Volumes are lower than in London or New York, so many pairs move within a relatively narrow range.
JPY, AUD and NZD pairs are the exception: their domestic data and central-bank decisions land in this session and can produce significant movement.
The range built overnight matters to European traders even if they never trade it. The Asian high and low are frequently the first levels tested when London opens.
Why traders watch it
Knowing what happened overnight sets the context for the day: whether the market is coiled in a tight range, or already moving on Asian-hours news.
Session Summaries record how the Asian session behaved so the following Trading Plan starts from evidence rather than assumption.
Trading considerations
- Expect smaller ranges and wider spreads outside JPY, AUD and NZD pairs.
- Mark the overnight high and low before London opens.
- A large Asian range often signals genuine news, not just noise.
Educational guidance only — never a trading signal or recommendation.
Related indicators
Clear direction
When one side is plainly in control: price makes progress one way and pullbacks are shallow.
Consolidation
A pause in which price moves tightly sideways, often after a strong move, while the market absorbs it.
First spike
The sharp, immediate move in the seconds after a release or a level breaks — usually the least reliable part of the whole move.
High-impact news
A scheduled release with a strong record of moving markets sharply — for example inflation, employment data or an interest-rate decision.
Holding a move
When price stays at its new level after a move instead of drifting back — the sign that the move was accepted.
Key level
A price area the market has clearly reacted to before, and is therefore likely to be watched again.