What time does the futures market open in Hawaiʻi time?
Most CME futures, like the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 contracts, open for the week on Sunday at 12:00 pm HST and close on Friday at 11:00 am HST from early March to early November. In winter, every time moves one hour later: Sunday 1:00 pm to Friday 12:00 pm HST. Each weekday the market also pauses for one hour, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm HST (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in winter).
What are the futures hours in Hawaiʻi, season by season?
The table shows the CME Globex hours for stock index futures in Hawaiʻi time. Many other CME futures, such as gold and crude oil, keep similar hours. Check the CME page for each contract.
| What | Early March to early November | Early November to early March |
|---|---|---|
| Week opens (Sunday) | 12:00 pm HST | 1:00 pm HST |
| Daily pause (Monday to Thursday) | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm HST | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm HST |
| Week closes (Friday) | 11:00 am HST | 12:00 pm HST |
Why do the times change if Hawaiʻi never changes its clocks?
CME sets its hours in Chicago time: Sunday 5:00 pm to Friday 4:00 pm Central Time, with a daily pause from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Central. Hawaiʻi stays on HST all year. So when Chicago changes its clocks, every futures time in Hawaiʻi moves by one hour.
The next changes are Sunday, November 1, 2026 (one hour later) and Sunday, March 14, 2027 (one hour earlier). See Do futures hours change when the mainland changes its clocks?
Are futures really open almost all day?
Yes. From the Sunday open to the Friday close, stock index futures trade about 23 hours a day. The only weekday gap is the one-hour pause.
You do not need to wake up at 3:00 am to trade from Hawaiʻi. The busiest hour is the New York stock open, at 3:30 am HST (4:30 am in winter), but there are other windows. Our post You do not have to wake up at 3am to trade from Hawaii explains them.
What happens during the daily pause?
No trades happen during the pause. For a Hawaiʻi trader, it falls in the late morning or at lunch, so plan your trading around it.
Plan your exits before 11:00 am HST (12:00 pm in winter). Check how your broker handles open orders over the pause.
Do holidays change the hours?
Yes. US holidays can close the market or end the session early. Check the CME holiday calendar before every holiday week.
Common mistakes
- Using a time converter set to Pacific Time. Pacific Time changes its clocks; HST does not.
- Forgetting the clock change. On November 1, 2026, every time on this page moves one hour later.
- Planning an exit during the daily pause.
- Assuming every contract has the same hours. Check the CME page for the contract you trade.
Sources
- CME Group trading hours
- CME Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 contract specs
- NIST: Daylight saving time
- IANA time zone database
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Read next
- Futures 101, Lesson 4: Sessions, holidays and the roll
- The free Hawaiʻi Futures Cheat Sheet
- All futures questions, answered
Not sure what to fix first?
Take the free trader quiz. It has 13 questions, takes about 3 minutes, and shows which part of your trading process to work on first: risk, edge, execution or review.
Mahalo for reading and trade well!
Glenn & Reid | Hawaiʻi Trading Academy
Risk disclaimer: Education only. Not financial advice. Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss. Futures are not suitable for every investor, and you can lose more than your initial deposit. Examples on this page use made-up numbers to teach the math. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Hawaiʻi Trading Academy provides education only. We are not financial advisors, and nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy or sell any financial product. HTA is not affiliated with CME Group or any exchange or agency named here. Times, rules and dates can change; check the source before you trade.
