Trading hours
Natural gas typically trades from 23:00 UK on Sunday to 22:00 UK on Friday with a daily break from 22:00 to 23:00 UK; it is busiest in the New York session.
| When | UK time | New York time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly open | Sunday 23:00 | Sunday 18:00 ET | CME Globex futures and most CFDs open Sunday evening New York time. Times follow your broker's server clock. |
| Daily break | 22:00 to 23:00 | 17:00 to 18:00 ET | Typically one hour, Monday to Thursday. |
| Friday close | 22:00 | 17:00 ET | Some brokers stop a few minutes earlier on Friday. |
| Busiest hours | 13:30 to 19:30, and Thursday 15:30 | 08:30 to 14:30 ET, and Thursday 10:30 ET | Typically the New York session; the EIA report brings the sharpest weekly move. |
| EIA storage report | Thursday 15:30 (14:30 in the gap weeks) | Thursday 10:30 ET | Moves to another day in some holiday weeks. |
New York changes its clocks on different dates from the UK (in 2026 the UK changed on 25 October and the US on 1 November; in 2027 the US changes on 14 March and the UK on 28 March). In those gap weeks New York is 4 hours behind London instead of 5, so every UK time on this page that is set by New York comes an hour earlier. Broker server clocks usually follow New York, so times on your platform can look different in those weeks even though the market has not moved.
What is Natural gas (NATGAS)?
NATGAS on most platforms tracks US natural gas, priced at Henry Hub in Louisiana in US dollars per million British thermal units (MMBtu). Gas heats homes, generates power and is shipped abroad as liquefied natural gas (LNG), so weather and storage levels drive the price far more than they do for most markets.
Natural gas CFDs follow NYMEX Henry Hub futures. Futures expire every month, so your broker rolls the CFD to the next contract, which can shift the price on the roll date. Natural gas is known for large, fast moves.
The trading sessions
Thin trade; weekend weather forecast changes can gap the Sunday open.
Moderate; updated weather models often move it.
The main session, including the Thursday EIA report.
Thinner trade after the main futures session.
Contract facts
Natural gas is quoted in US dollars per MMBtu, usually to 3 decimals (for example 3.500). The smallest futures move is 0.001.
Lot sizes differ between brokers. Check the contract specification in your platform, and when the broker rolls to the next futures month.
On one NYMEX natural gas futures contract (10,000 MMBtu), a 0.001 move is worth 10 dollars and a 0.010 move is worth 100 dollars. On a CFD lot of 10,000 MMBtu the values are the same.
NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas futures (NG): typically 10,000 MMBtu, minimum move 0.001 dollars per MMBtu (10 dollars). Contracts expire monthly.
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 Natural gas (NATGAS)
Colder winters and hotter summers in the US raise gas demand for heating and air conditioning.
The weekly EIA report shows whether stocks are above or below normal for the season.
Demand from US export terminals, and outages at them, change how much gas is used.
US output levels and pipeline problems affect supply.
Gulf of Mexico storms can cut both supply and LNG export demand.
Monthly expiry and the broker's roll can move the CFD price when the next contract is priced differently.
Scheduled events to watch
Shows the weekly change in US gas in storage against expectations, often the sharpest move of the week.
Changes to 6 to 10 and 8 to 14 day temperature outlooks move heating and cooling demand expectations.
The front contract ends and CFDs roll, which can bring a price shift.
A weekly read on US drilling activity and future supply.
What it tends to move with
A loose link; natural gas is driven more by US weather and storage than by oil.
Higher prices abroad can lift US LNG export demand; the link is loose.
Colder forecasts in winter and hotter ones in summer tend to lift the price.
Tips for trading Natural gas (NATGAS)
Respect Thursday
Avoid holding a tight stop through 15:30 UK on Thursday. Trade the break of the first 15 minute candle after the EIA report; a close back inside it proves the idea wrong.
Watch the Sunday gap
Weekend weather changes can gap the open. Wait for the first hour to settle; a fill of the gap proves a gap-and-go idea wrong.
Size down
Natural gas can move sharply in minutes. Set stops beyond structure and lower your size; a 15 minute close beyond the swing proves the trade wrong.
Know the roll date
Check when your broker rolls the CFD. Do not read a roll jump as a breakout; a price shift on the roll date that does not follow through is proved wrong.
Connect a cTrader account once and NATGAS appears on WickSpeak at your broker's own prices. Key levels show the previous day, week and month highs and lows, pivots and average daily range levels with their distance in points, and Time of day DNA shows how gas tends to move around the Thursday report. 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: ir.eia.gov, eia.gov, cpc.ncep.noaa.gov, rigcount.bakerhughes.com, pepperstone.com, ic.com. Checked 2026-11-05. Broker hours follow your broker's server clock and can differ.
Questions traders ask
What are natural gas trading hours in the UK?
Natural gas CFDs typically trade from 23:00 UK on Sunday to 22:00 UK on Friday, with a daily break from 22:00 to 23:00 UK. Times are an hour earlier in the gap weeks around the clock changes.
What time is the EIA natural gas storage report in the UK?
It is usually released on Thursday at 10:30 New York time, which is 15:30 UK (14:30 UK in the gap weeks). In some holiday weeks it moves to another day or time.
Why is natural gas so volatile?
Demand swings with the weather, storage sets the supply cushion, and changes in forecasts can shift expectations fast. Monthly futures rolls can also move CFD prices.
What is Henry Hub?
Henry Hub is a gas pipeline hub in Louisiana that serves as the delivery point for NYMEX natural gas futures. Its price is the main US natural gas benchmark.
What is the best time to trade natural gas?
Typically 13:30 to 19:30 UK, during the New York session, with the sharpest moves usually around the Thursday 15:30 UK storage report.