Asia Session

The Asia session for US equity index futures runs approximately from 6:00 PM ET (when Globex reopens after its maintenance break) through 3:00 AM ET (when European participants begin entering the market). It corresponds to active trading hours in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Sydney.

Asia session hours

Market	Local time	ET equivalent
Tokyo (JST)	9:00 AM – 3:00 PM	7:00 PM – 1:00 AM ET
Hong Kong (HKT)	9:30 AM – 4:00 PM	8:30 PM – 3:00 AM ET
Sydney (AEDT)	10:00 AM – 4:00 PM	6:00 PM – 12:00 AM ET

These are approximate ranges: exact liquidity varies by season (daylight saving adjustments) and market conditions.

Asia session characteristics for ES/NQ traders

Low volume: Asian participants trade their own indices (Nikkei, Hang Seng, ASX) primarily. US equity index futures during Asia hours are dominated by algorithmic positioning and thin retail flow.

Narrow range: the Asia session typically produces the tightest range of the 24-hour session. On many days, ES moves fewer than 10 points during Asia hours.

Range compression: a very tight Asia range (3–5 points) often precedes expansion at the London open or RTH open. Volatility tends to be mean-reverting: quiet nights often precede active mornings.

How RTH traders use Asia session data

• Mark the Asia session high and low as intraday reference levels
• Note whether price is above or below the prior RTH close heading into London
• Identify whether overnight price is near key technical levels that could trigger a move at the open
• Use the Asia range as a baseline for ATR-relative sizing decisions

When Asia session matters more

Asia session moves become significant when major Asian economic data is released (Chinese PMI, Bank of Japan decisions, Australian employment), or when global risk events drive coordinated selling or buying across all sessions.