Trading hours
Mainland Chinese shares trade 01:30 to 07:00 UK in UK winter with a long lunch break; SGX A50 futures and most CHINA50 CFDs typically trade from 01:00 to 21:00 UK with a short break around 08:30 UK.
| When | UK time | New York time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futures day session | 01:00 to about 08:30 (winter) | 20:00 to 03:30 ET | SGX day session from 09:00 Singapore time to about 16:30 to 16:35. CFDs typically stop at 16:30. |
| Mainland morning session | 01:30 to 03:30 (winter) | 20:30 to 22:30 ET | 09:30 to 11:30 Beijing time, after an opening call auction from 09:15. |
| Mainland lunch break | 03:30 to 05:00 (winter) | 22:30 to 00:00 ET | 11:30 to 13:00 Beijing time. SGX futures keep trading. |
| Mainland afternoon session | 05:00 to 07:00 (winter) | 00:00 to 02:00 ET | 13:00 to 15:00 Beijing time, with a closing call auction from 14:57. |
| Futures night session | 09:00 to about 21:00 (winter) | 04:00 to 16:00 ET | SGX night session from about 17:00 Singapore time into the early morning. CFDs typically stop at about 05:00 Singapore time. |
| Busiest hours | 01:30 to 03:30 (winter) | 20:30 to 22:30 ET | Typically the mainland morning, when Chinese data and the open land. |
China and Singapore do not use daylight saving time, so their exchange times never change. The UK does: from the last Sunday of October to the last Sunday of March (UK winter, now) the UK times on this page apply; in UK summer every UK time is one hour later. New York times are given for the US winter.
What is China A50 (CHINA50)?
The FTSE China A50 is run by FTSE Russell and tracks the 50 largest A shares, the shares of mainland Chinese companies priced in yuan and traded in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Banks, insurers, liquor makers, battery and energy groups carry much of the weight.
Foreign traders mostly reach it through FTSE China A50 futures on the Singapore Exchange (SGX), priced in US dollars. CHINA50 CFDs follow those futures, which trade in a Singapore day session and a long night session, well beyond mainland market hours.
The trading sessions
The busiest block; Chinese data and the mainland open bring most of the movement.
Moves continue to the mainland close; policy headlines can hit at any time.
Futures follow global risk mood and US markets; moves are usually smaller.
Contract facts
One point is a move of 1 in the index level (for example from 14,000 to 14,001).
Lot sizes differ between brokers; many price CHINA50 in US dollars per point. Check the contract specification in your platform.
On a CFD where 1 lot is worth 1 US dollar per point, a 50 point move on 1 lot is worth 50 dollars. On one SGX FTSE China A50 futures contract a 1 point move is worth 1 US dollar.
SGX FTSE China A50 index futures: contract size 1 US dollar times the index. Check SGX for the current minimum price move and session times.
How far it usually moves
Varies with conditions; check the Average daily range indicator on WickSpeak for the current figure. We do not publish a fixed number because we could not verify one from an official source.
What moves China A50 (CHINA50)
Stimulus, interest rate cuts by the People's Bank of China and support for the property market often bring sharp moves.
PMIs, activity, trade and price data shape the outlook for the biggest mainland firms.
State backed funds have bought large shares on weak days, which can steady the index.
Tariffs, export curbs and trade talks often move Chinese shares.
A weaker yuan has often come with weaker Chinese shares and foreign selling.
Large financial firms are a big weight, so rate moves and bank news matter.
Scheduled events to watch
The first monthly read on factories and services, at 09:30 Beijing time.
Industrial output, retail sales and investment at 10:00 Beijing time.
Price data shape expectations for policy easing.
The benchmark lending rate set monthly; cuts can lift banks and property firms.
Eight scheduled meetings a year; the decision and the tone of the press conference reset US rate expectations.
What it tends to move with
Often moves the same way, though Hong Kong reacts more to global investors.
A weaker yuan (higher USDCNH) has often come with weaker Chinese shares.
Both lean on Chinese demand, so strong Chinese data can lift all three; the link is loose.
Tips for trading China A50 (CHINA50)
Trade the mainland open
Mark the futures range from 01:00 to 01:30 UK (winter). A 5 minute close outside it after the mainland open is a breakout idea; a close back inside proves it wrong.
Respect policy headlines
Policy news can gap the index. Wait for a 15 minute close in the news direction; a close back through the pre-news price proves the idea wrong.
Use the lunch break
Futures trade through the mainland lunch break but shares do not, so lunch moves can reverse at 05:00 UK. A lunch break breakout that reverses at the afternoon open is proved wrong.
Mind the session gap
CFDs usually pause around 08:30 UK in winter. Avoid tight stops across the break; a gap through your level proves the trade wrong at once.
Connect a cTrader account once and CHINA50 appears on WickSpeak at your broker's own prices. Key levels show the previous day high and low, pivots, the open and average daily range levels with their distance in points. Every indicator writes a plain-English reading on the live candle, including what would prove it wrong, and a Playbook play can alert you, draw a trade plan, paper trade or, only on a play where you switched live trading on, place a trade inside the guardrails you set.
Related markets
Sources: lseg.com, sgx.com, capitalfutures.com.tw, hkex.com.hk, pepperstone.com. Checked 2026-11-05. Broker hours follow your broker's server clock and can differ.
Questions traders ask
What is the China A50?
It is the FTSE China A50 Index, which tracks the 50 largest mainland Chinese companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Traders outside China usually reach it through SGX futures or CFDs called CHINA50 or CN50.
What time does the China A50 open in the UK?
SGX A50 futures and most CHINA50 CFDs open at 09:00 Singapore time, which is 01:00 UK in UK winter and 02:00 UK in UK summer. Mainland shares open at 01:30 UK in winter.
Does the China A50 have a lunch break?
Mainland shares pause from 11:30 to 13:00 Beijing time (03:30 to 05:00 UK in winter), but SGX futures and most CHINA50 CFDs keep trading through it.
Why does CHINA50 trade when China is closed?
CHINA50 follows the SGX futures, which have a night session that runs through the European and US day. Those futures react to global news while mainland markets are shut.
What is the best time to trade CHINA50?
Typically the mainland morning, 01:30 to 03:30 UK in winter, when Chinese data and the open bring most of the day's movement.