What is a session high and low?
In one line: A session high and low are the highest and lowest prices a market reaches during one trading session, such as the Asian, London or New York session.
The short answer
Markets like forex and futures trade almost around the clock. Traders split the day into sessions, named after the big financial centers that are awake.
Each session leaves a high and a low. Those two prices often matter later in the day.
The three main sessions (forex)
Times are approximate and shift with daylight saving time.
| Session | Rough hours (ET) | Usual feel |
|---|---|---|
| Asian (Tokyo) | 7 pm – 4 am | Often quieter, tighter ranges |
| London | 3 am – 12 pm | Busier, bigger moves |
| New York | 8 am – 5 pm | Busy, especially when it overlaps London |
Our market hours tool shows which sessions are open right now in your time zone.
A simple example
During the Asian session, EUR/USD trades between 1.0840 and 1.0862. Mark both:
- Asian high: 1.0862
- Asian low: 1.0840
When London opens, price pokes above 1.0862 to 1.0868, then a candle body closes back inside, at 1.0855. That poke-and-return is a common sight at session levels. If a body had closed above 1.0862 and held, that would count as a real break. Both are illustrations, not forecasts.
Why it matters
Session highs and lows are where many traders place stops. Stops sit just past them. That makes them pools of Liquidity, places price is often drawn to.
They also give you a clean, objective level to mark. No guessing, no drawing by eye: the high was the high.
A common mistake
Treating a wick past the level as a breakout. Price often runs just past a session high, triggers the stops sitting there, then turns back. Only a candle body closing past the level, and holding, counts as a real break. Our guide on liquidity sweeps shows this in detail.
The other mix-up is daylight saving time. The US and Europe change their clocks on different dates, so session times can shift by an hour for a few weeks each year.
Questions
What is the London session high and low?
The highest and lowest price reached while London is open, roughly 3 am to 12 pm ET. Many forex traders mark it before New York opens.
Do stocks have session highs and lows?
Yes. For US stocks the main session is 9:30 am to 4:00 pm ET. The Pre-market and after-hours sessions have their own highs and lows.
Which session high and low matters most?
It depends on what you trade and when. Many traders watch the last completed session before the one they trade.
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