Best Times to Trade Silver Futures (SI)
Silver futures (SI) don’t move clean all day, and anyone claiming they do has never stared at a DOM during dead hours. SI has specific windows where volatility, liquidity, and order flow sync into something actually tradable. Outside of those windows, SI becomes a sloppy, thin-metal mess that hunts stops for sport. Here’s the real breakdown of when SI behaves and when it doesn’t.
1. The London–U.S. Overlap (5:00–7:30 a.m. ET)
This is the first legitimate SI window of the day. London metals traders are active, U.S. premarket players are preparing for economic releases, and liquidity thickens just enough to prevent random air-pocket spikes.
- Depth increases 2–4× from the Asian session
- Spreads tighten to 1–2 ticks
- Breakouts behave more cleanly
- Stop runs are smaller and resolve faster
This is usually where SI sets its directional “intent” before the real volatility hits later. If you want to avoid getting whipped in the U.S. open burst, track the structure from this window first.
2. The U.S. Economic Release Window (8:15–10:15 a.m. ET)
This is SI’s violence hour. CPI, NFP, retail sales, PCE—if it involves inflation or the dollar, SI reacts like someone dropped a grenade into the order book.
| Release | Typical SI Reaction |
|---|---|
| CPI | 40–90 cent swings in minutes |
| NFP | 30–60 cent spikes, often two-stage reactions |
| FOMC | Full-dollar moves, fakeouts common |
| PCE | 20–50 cent repricing |
Yes—SI is tradable here, but only if you size like an adult. This is not “take a position and hope.” This is ATR-based stop selection or sit out. I break ATR behavior down in SI Volatility & ATR Profile.
3. The COMEX Pit Open (8:20–9:00 a.m. ET)
This is where full liquidity enters the market. You’ll see:
- Real size on the DOM (5–10× pre-open levels)
- Smoother trend follow-through
- Cleaner retests of overnight levels
- Better tape confirmation
If you only have time for one session, trade this one. SI is violent but logical here. Breakouts make sense. Pullbacks hold. Rotations have structure instead of random drift.
4. Midday Dead Zone (11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. ET)
Avoid this unless you enjoy punishment. Liquidity collapses, spreads widen, and SI floats in a coma. You’ll get:
- Fake breakouts with zero follow-through
- Grinding 4–10 tick chop
- Algorithmic drift that ignores technical levels
If you take a loss here, that’s on you. The market isn’t offering anything clean at this time.
5. Afternoon Repricing Window (1:30–3:30 p.m. ET)
This is where SI wakes back up. Institutions position for the close, the dollar firms or fades, and metals get a second round of volatility.
Expect:
- Directional moves tied to USD reversals
- 2nd-leg continuation trades from the morning trend
- End-of-day inventory repositioning
This window is cleaner than the morning release spike, but still volatile enough to matter.
6. Asian Session (6:00 p.m.–3:00 a.m. ET)
SI is technically “open,” but let’s not lie to ourselves—this is the sloppiest session.
- Depth is thin
- Spreads widen
- Random 15–30 tick spikes appear out of nowhere
The only people trading SI here are hedgers adjusting books and retail gamblers. Wait for London unless you’re building swing positions.
Final Takeaway
SI has three real windows: the London overlap, U.S. releases, and the COMEX open. Everything else ranges from “fine” to “utter garbage.” If you want a cleaner read, trade when the book has actual size and the dollar is active. SI rewards timing more than most contracts because its volatility isn’t evenly distributed—it clusters hard into very specific hours.