Trading hours
GBP/CHF typically trades from Sunday 22:00 to Friday 22:00 UK time (5pm to 5pm New York time), with no daily break beyond a brief pause at some brokers around the 22:00 UK rollover. Times on your chart follow your broker's server clock.
| When | UK time | New York time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly open | Sunday 22:00 (21:00 in the gap weeks) | Sunday 17:00 | Typically, at most CFD brokers. Wellington and Sydney are already in their Monday morning. Spreads are often wide in the first minutes and there can be a gap from Friday's close. |
| Daily rollover | 22:00 each weekday (21:00 in the gap weeks) | 17:00 | The trading day ends and overnight financing (swap) is charged. There is typically no long break, but spreads widen for a few minutes and some brokers pause quotes briefly. |
| Friday close | Friday 22:00 (21:00 in the gap weeks) | Friday 17:00 | Typically. Many brokers stop a few minutes early, for example Pepperstone closes all markets 5 minutes early on Fridays. Closed all of Saturday. |
| Busiest hours | 07:00 to 11:00 | 02:00 to 06:00 | Typically. London morning, when UK and Swiss data are released. |
Forex hours follow New York time: the week opens on Sunday and closes on Friday at 5pm New York time. For most of the year that is 22:00 UK. The US and UK change clocks on different Sundays, so in the gap weeks it is 21:00 UK. In autumn 2026 the UK moved back on 25 October and the US on 1 November; in spring 2027 the US moves forward on 14 March and the UK on 28 March, so from 14 to 28 March the open, close and rollover are at 21:00 UK and US data at 8:30am New York time lands at 12:30 UK instead of 13:30. European releases (UK, eurozone and Swiss) stay at the same UK time all year, because those countries change clocks on the same dates as the UK. Times on your broker's chart follow its server clock, which many brokers set to GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 in summer so the daily candle starts at the 5pm New York rollover. Check your broker's own contract page.
What is GBP/CHF?
GBP/CHF shows how many Swiss francs one British pound buys. If it reads 1.0800, one pound costs 1.08 francs. It pairs the pound, which reacts to UK data and the Bank of England, with the franc, a traditional safe haven.
GBP/CHF tends to move more than EUR/CHF because the pound is more volatile than the euro. It usually rises in calm markets and falls when traders seek safety. Most of its moves happen between 07:00 and 16:00 UK.
The trading sessions
Usually quiet, with small moves and wider spreads.
UK data at 07:00 UK and Swiss data at 07:30 UK often start the day's move.
US data at 13:30 UK can shift risk mood and the franc. Activity tends to fade after 17:00 UK.
Typically the busiest window, with UK and Swiss data.
Contract facts
One pip is 0.0001 (the fourth decimal place). Most brokers quote one more decimal, a tenth of a pip, often called a pipette or point.
1 standard lot = 100,000 pounds (the first currency in the pair). A mini lot (0.1) is 10,000 and a micro lot (0.01) is 1,000.
One pip (0.0001) on 1 standard lot is worth 10 francs (100,000 x 0.0001). On a mini lot (0.1) it is 1 franc and on a micro lot (0.01) it is 0.10 francs. Your platform converts it to your account currency at the current rate.
Most GBP/CHF trading happens in the spot market between banks and through CFDs. Cross rate futures volume is small, so CFD and spot prices are what most traders watch.
How far it usually moves
Varies with conditions; check the Average daily range indicator on WickSpeak for the current figure in pips. We do not publish a fixed number for GBP/CHF because we could not verify one from an official source.
What moves GBP/CHF
Expectations for UK interest rates are the biggest single driver of the pound.
UK inflation, wages, jobs and monthly GDP, all released at 07:00 UK, move the pound before London is fully awake.
The franc is often bought when markets are worried, which tends to push GBP/CHF lower in a sell off.
The SNB has said it is willing to buy foreign currency when it thinks the franc is too strong, which can cap sharp franc rallies.
UK budget news and political uncertainty can weigh on the pound, and that shows up quickly in GBP/CHF.
Scheduled events to watch
Sets UK interest rates for the pound side of GBP/CHF; eight a year, the next after today (5 November) is 17 December 2026, then 4 February and 18 March 2027.
Only four a year, so each one carries weight; next on 10 December 2026, then 18 March 2027.
Published monthly by the Office for National Statistics, usually mid month; a surprise moves Bank of England expectations at once.
Monthly from the Federal Statistical Office, usually early in the month; low Swiss inflation shapes how far the SNB will go to stop the franc rising.
Monthly from the ONS; wage growth is watched closely by the Bank of England.
What it tends to move with
When the pound moves on UK news, GBP/CHF usually follows GBP/USD.
Franc strength usually shows up in both, with GBP/CHF moving further.
GBP/CHF has often fallen in stock market sell offs as money moves into the franc.
Tips for trading GBP/CHF
UK data at 07:00
After UK inflation or jobs data, wait for the 15 minute candle to close. A close beyond the Asian range is an idea in that direction; a close back inside proves it wrong.
Safe haven days
If stocks are dropping hard, long GBP/CHF ideas are weak. A break of the morning low on a risk off day proves a long idea wrong.
SNB and BoE days
The SNB speaks at 08:30 UK and the BoE at 12:00 UK. Let the first candle after each close; a return into the pre-news range proves the breakout wrong.
Previous day levels
A rejection at the previous day's high is a short idea; a close above it proves it wrong.
Connect a cTrader account once and, if your broker offers GBP/CHF, it appears on WickSpeak at your broker's own prices. Key levels show the previous day high and low, pivot points, round numbers and average daily range levels with how many pips away each is, Time of day DNA shows when GBP/CHF has tended to move, and every indicator writes a plain-English reading on the live candle. A Playbook play can alert you, paper trade, or place a trade inside guardrails you set, only on a play where you switched live trading on.
Related markets
Sources: pepperstone.com, pepperstone.com, bankofengland.co.uk, ons.gov.uk, snb.ch. Checked 2026-11-05. Broker hours follow your broker's server clock and can differ.
Questions traders ask
What are GBP/CHF trading hours in the UK?
GBP/CHF typically trades from Sunday 22:00 to Friday 22:00 UK time, which is 5pm Sunday to 5pm Friday in New York. In the few weeks when the US and UK clocks change on different dates, the open and close are at 21:00 UK. It does not trade on Saturdays.
What is the best time to trade GBP/CHF?
Typically 07:00 to 11:00 UK, when UK and Swiss data are released and London is at its busiest. The Asian session is usually quiet.
Is GBP/CHF a safe haven pair?
The franc is often bought in times of stress, so GBP/CHF tends to fall when markets are fearful. That makes it sensitive to risk mood as well as to UK news.
How is GBP/CHF different from EUR/CHF?
Both have the franc as the second currency, but the pound usually moves more than the euro, so GBP/CHF typically has larger daily swings in pips. UK data and the Bank of England matter more for it.
How much is 1 pip on GBP/CHF worth?
On 1 standard lot of 100,000 pounds, one pip (0.0001) is worth 10 francs. On 0.1 lots it is 1 franc and on 0.01 lots it is 0.10 francs. Your platform shows it in your account currency at the current rate.