COMEX Market Close Time: A Complete Guide to COMEX Exchange Hours

For traders who follow gold, silver, copper, or other metals, understanding the rhythm of the COMEX market is essential. The COMEX market close time isn't just a single moment—it's part of a carefully structured schedule that includes daily maintenance breaks, weekend closures, and holiday adjustments. Whether you're planning your trading day or simply monitoring positions, knowing these timings can make a significant difference in how you approach the market.

What Is COMEX?

The Commodity Exchange (COMEX) is a division of the CME Group and serves as the primary marketplace for metals futures trading, including gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. It operates alongside other major exchanges like NYMEX and CBOT under the CME Group umbrella.

COMEX Exchange Hours: The Regular Schedule

The COMEX exchange hours follow a nearly 24-hour cycle during the trading week. According to the standard CME Globex schedule, COMEX operates from Sunday through Friday, with the electronic trading session running from 5:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Central Time) the following day. This means the exchange is open for approximately 23 hours each day.

However, there's an important daily interruption. The COMEX closing time each day occurs at 4:00 p.m. CT, followed by a 60-minute maintenance break until 5:00 p.m. CT. During this window, orders may not execute, and the market essentially pauses before resuming for the next session.

For those tracking COMEX futures trading hours, this daily break is worth noting. It's not a full closure but rather a scheduled downtime that allows for system maintenance and settlement processes.

COMEX Closing Time: Daily and Weekly

The COMEX closing time has two dimensions—daily and weekly.

Daily Close: Each trading day, COMEX closes at 4:00 p.m. Central Time, resuming at 5:00 p.m. CT after the maintenance window.

Weekly Close: The COMEX market closes for the week on Friday at 4:00 p.m. CT (5:00 p.m. ET). Trading does not resume until Sunday at 5:00 p.m. CT (6:00 p.m. ET) when the new trading week begins.

This weekend closure means that from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, the COMEX market is inactive. Any positions held during this period are subject to weekend news and events that could affect prices when trading resumes.

COMEX Exchange Opening Time

The COMEX exchange opening time for the trading week is Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Central Time (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time). During the week, after each daily maintenance break, trading resumes at 5:00 p.m. CT.

For traders focused on specific metals like gold or silver, it's worth noting that while electronic trading spans nearly the entire day, the most active period—when volume and volatility peak—typically occurs during U.S. market hours, particularly between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

COMEX Futures Trading Hours and RTH

While the electronic session covers nearly 23 hours, COMEX also has designated Regular Trading Hours (RTH) for certain contracts. For gold futures, RTH runs from 7:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST, with settlement occurring at 12:30 p.m.. Silver futures have RTH from 7:25 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. CST.

These RTH periods represent the traditional floor trading hours and often see the highest liquidity and tightest spreads.

Holiday Schedules and Early Closes

COMEX observes a holiday schedule that includes full closures and early close days. In 2026, the exchange observes 12 scheduled holidays, including New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

On certain days, such as the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, COMEX closes early at 1:00 p.m. ET. These early closes can catch traders off guard if they're not paying attention to the calendar.

Why These Timings Matter for Traders

Understanding COMEX exchange hours isn't just about knowing when you can trade—it's about understanding market dynamics. The periods immediately before and after the daily maintenance break can exhibit different liquidity conditions. Spreads may widen, and price movements can be more erratic.

Similarly, the transition from Friday's close to Sunday's open often brings gap risk. News events over the weekend can cause prices to open significantly higher or lower than where they closed on Friday.

Managing Positions Across COMEX Sessions

For traders who hold positions across multiple sessions, keeping track of COMEX market close time and the subsequent reopening becomes a routine necessity. The challenge is that these timings don't always align conveniently with your schedule.

This is where having a reliable way to monitor your positions becomes valuable. Rather than constantly opening your trading terminal to check prices and manage positions, tools like Camovia Tray offer a more streamlined approach. The application turns MT5 or MT4 into a tray tool, allowing you to hover over the system tray icon to see live quotes and view open positions without opening the full terminal.

During the COMEX maintenance break, for instance, you might want to quickly verify your positions before the market resumes. With Camovia Tray, you can check your holdings and close positions with a two-step confirmation—clicking "Close" followed by "Confirm"—directly from the tray interface. This keeps your trading data on your local machine while providing convenient access when timing matters.

The tool also supports hiding the MT5/MT4 main window from the taskbar and Alt+Tab switcher, which can be useful when you need to step away but still want to keep an eye on the market.

Key Takeaways for COMEX Trading Hours

To summarize the essential timings:

• Weekly Open: Sunday 5:00 p.m. CT (6:00 p.m. ET)
• Daily Close: 4:00 p.m. CT (5:00 p.m. ET)
• Daily Maintenance Break: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT
• Weekly Close: Friday 4:00 p.m. CT (5:00 p.m. ET)
• Most Active Period: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET during U.S. market hours

These timings can shift during holiday periods, so checking the CME Group's official calendar before major holidays is always recommended.

Final Thoughts

The COMEX market close time and the broader schedule of COMEX exchange hours form the backbone of metals trading. Whether you're trading gold, silver, or copper, understanding when the market pauses and when it resumes helps you plan your trading strategy more effectively.

For those who prefer to keep their trading activities discreet and their data local, Camovia Tray offers a practical solution—turning your MT5/MT4 into a tray tool where you can check live quotes and manage positions from the system tray. With quotes and position data staying entirely on your computer, it's designed for traders who value both convenience and privacy.