Trading hours
The London Stock Exchange session runs 08:00 to 16:30 UK; FTSE 100 futures and most UK100 CFDs typically trade from 01:00 to 21:00 UK, Monday to Friday.
| When | UK time | New York time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily futures open | 01:00 | 20:00 ET the evening before | ICE FTSE 100 futures open at 01:00 London time after a pre-open from 00:35. Most UK100 CFDs open at the same time. |
| Opening auction | 07:50 to 08:00 | 02:50 to 03:00 ET | Orders build up and the opening prices for shares are set. |
| London Stock Exchange session | 08:00 to 16:30 | 03:00 to 11:30 ET | The official stock market session, with no lunch break. |
| Closing auction | 16:30 to about 16:35 | 11:30 to 11:35 ET | Sets the official closing prices. |
| Daily futures close | 21:00 | 16:00 ET | ICE FTSE 100 futures stop at 21:00 London time. CFDs typically stop at the same time, give or take a minute. |
| Friday close | 21:00 | 16:00 ET | No weekend trading and no Sunday evening open. |
| Busiest hours | 08:00 to 10:00, and 13:30 to 15:30 | 03:00 to 05:00 and 08:30 to 10:30 ET | Typically the cash open and the US data and US open window bring the largest moves. |
All UK100 times are set to London's clock, so in UK time they do not change through the year. New York changes on different dates (in 2026, 8 March and 1 November), so in those gap weeks New York is 4 hours behind London instead of 5. Your broker's server clock usually follows New York, so the times shown on your platform for this market can shift by an hour in those weeks even though the market itself has not moved. New York times in the table are for when the gap is 5 hours.
What is UK100 (FTSE 100)?
The FTSE 100 tracks the 100 largest companies by market value on the London Stock Exchange's main market. It is run by FTSE Russell, part of LSEG, and weighted by the value of shares available to trade. Many members are large international businesses, such as oil, mining, banking, drug and consumer goods companies, and most of their earnings come from outside the UK.
The official index is calculated from London Stock Exchange prices during the trading day. Outside those hours, UK100 at your broker follows the FTSE 100 futures traded on ICE Futures Europe.
The trading sessions
Futures trade, but movement is usually small and spreads can be wider.
The most important session for this market. The cash open brings the day's first big moves, and the first hour is typically the most active.
US data at 13:30 UK and the US cash open at 14:30 UK often move European indices too.
After the European close, the market tends to follow US indices until futures stop at about 21:00 UK.
Contract facts
One point is a move of 1.0 in the index level (for example from 9,000.0 to 9,001.0).
Index CFD lot sizes differ between brokers. A common setup is 1 lot worth 1 pound per point, but some brokers use 10 pounds per point or other sizes. Check the contract specification in your platform.
On a CFD where 1 lot is worth 1 pound per point, a 1 point move on 1 lot is worth 1 pound. On one ICE FTSE 100 futures contract a 1 point move is worth 10 pounds.
FTSE 100 Index futures on ICE Futures Europe: 10 pounds per index point, minimum move 0.5 points (5 pounds).
How far it usually moves
Varies with conditions; check the Average daily range indicator on WickSpeak for the current figure. We have not published a fixed number because we could not verify one from an official source.
What moves UK100 (FTSE 100)
Commodity prices: oil and mining companies are a large part of the index, so oil and metal prices matter.
The pound: many members earn in dollars, so a weaker pound tends to lift the index and a stronger pound tends to weigh on it.
Bank of England decisions and UK inflation data.
Global risk mood and US markets, especially after 13:30 UK.
Earnings and dividend news from the biggest members.
Dividend days: when big members go ex-dividend, the index level drops by the dividend amount, because the FTSE 100 is a price index.
Chinese demand, which affects the large mining companies.
Scheduled events to watch
What it tends to move with
GBPUSD: the FTSE 100 has tended to move the opposite way to the pound, because many members earn in dollars.
Oil (Brent): a strong rise in oil tends to support the energy heavy FTSE 100.
GER40 and other European indices: usually move in the same direction on big risk days.
US indices: the FTSE often follows US futures after 13:30 UK, though less strongly than the DAX.
Tips for trading UK100 (FTSE 100)
Mark the futures range from 01:00 to 08:00 UK. A close outside it after the 08:00 open is a breakout idea; a close back inside proves it wrong.
Check the oil price and GBPUSD before the open. A falling pound and rising oil often help the index, but price on the chart has the final say.
Watch for ex-dividend days on big members. The index can open lower for that reason alone, which is not a sell signal.
Use the previous day's 16:30 close as a reference level. A rejection there is a reversal idea; a 15 minute close through it proves it wrong.
Set stops in points beyond structure. The FTSE often moves fewer points than the DAX or NAS100, so do not copy stop sizes from those markets.
Connect a cTrader account once and UK100 appears on WickSpeak at your broker's own prices. Trades are placed only from a Playbook play where you switch live trading on; otherwise WickSpeak just reads the chart. Session separators mark the 08:00 UK open, and key levels show the previous day high and low, pivots, round numbers 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.
Related markets
Sources: ice.com, londonstockexchange.com, lseg.com, pepperstone.com, bankofengland.co.uk, ons.gov.uk. Checked 2026-11-05. Broker hours follow your broker's server clock and can differ.
Questions traders ask
What time does the FTSE 100 open?
The London Stock Exchange session opens at 08:00 UK time, after an opening auction from 07:50. FTSE 100 futures and most UK100 CFDs start earlier, at 01:00 UK. These times are on London's clock, so they stay the same all year.
What time does the FTSE 100 close?
The stock market session closes at 16:30 UK, followed by a closing auction that runs until about 16:35. FTSE 100 futures and most UK100 CFDs keep trading until 21:00 UK.
Is UK100 the same as the FTSE 100?
UK100 is a broker's name for a CFD that follows the FTSE 100. During the stock market session it tracks the index closely; outside those hours it follows the FTSE 100 futures on ICE. Small differences are normal.
Why does the FTSE 100 rise when the pound falls?
Many FTSE 100 companies earn most of their money abroad in dollars. When the pound weakens, those earnings are worth more in pounds, which tends to support their share prices. It is a tendency, not a rule.
Can you trade the FTSE 100 at night?
Yes, through futures and most UK100 CFDs, which typically trade from 01:00 to 21:00 UK. There is no trading from 21:00 to 01:00, and none at weekends.