This page lists the MCX trading hours by segment, the 2026 holiday list with morning and evening session status, how the seasonal change works and what it means for traders.
MCX trading hours
| Segment | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-agricultural (bullion, energy, base metals) | 9:00 AM | 11:30 PM during US daylight saving; 11:55 PM otherwise |
| Select agricultural (cotton, cotton seed wash oil, kapas) | 9:00 AM | 9:00 PM |
| Other agricultural | 9:00 AM | 5:00 PM |
MCX is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. NSE's commodity derivatives segment follows the same seasonal pattern for non-agricultural contracts.
Morning and evening sessions
Holiday notices refer to two sessions:
- Morning session: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Evening session: 5:00 PM to the close, 11:30 PM or 11:55 PM
On a partial holiday, MCX may close the morning session and open at 5:00 PM.
Why the closing time changes
Gold, silver, crude oil and metals on MCX follow international prices. The US moves its clocks forward in March and back in November, and India does not change its clocks. To keep the same overlap with US markets, MCX shortens the evening session by 25 minutes while US daylight saving is in force.
| Period in 2026 | Non-agri close |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 6 March | 11:55 PM |
| From 9 March (US daylight saving begins 8 March) | 11:30 PM |
| From early November (US daylight saving ends 1 November) | 11:55 PM, from the date MCX confirms by circular |
Brokers square off intraday commodity positions shortly before the close, so check your broker's cut-off time as well as the exchange close.
MCX holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Morning session | Evening session |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Open | Closed |
| 15 Jan 2026 | Thursday | Maharashtra municipal elections | Closed | Open |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Monday | Republic Day | Closed | Closed |
| 3 Mar 2026 | Tuesday | Holi | Closed | Open |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Thursday | Shri Ram Navami | Closed | Open |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Tuesday | Shri Mahavir Jayanti | Closed | Open |
| 3 Apr 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Closed | Closed |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Tuesday | Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti | Closed | Open |
| 1 May 2026 | Friday | Maharashtra Day | Closed | Open |
| 28 May 2026 | Thursday | Bakri Id | Closed | Open |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Friday | Muharram | Closed | Open |
| 14 Sep 2026 | Monday | Ganesh Chaturthi | Closed | Open |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | Closed | Closed |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Tuesday | Dussehra | Closed | Open |
| 10 Nov 2026 | Tuesday | Diwali Balipratipada | Closed | Open |
| 24 Nov 2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Closed | Open |
| 25 Dec 2026 | Friday | Christmas | Closed | Closed |
Four days close both sessions: Republic Day, Good Friday, Gandhi Jayanti and Christmas. On New Year's Day the morning session opens and the evening session is closed. The 15 January closure was announced separately from the annual list.
Holidays on weekends
Mahashivratri (15 February), Id-ul-Fitr (21 March), Independence Day (15 August) and Diwali Laxmi Pujan (8 November) fall on a Saturday or Sunday in 2026.
Muhurat trading
MCX holds a short special session on Diwali Laxmi Pujan, 8 November 2026. The exchange announces the timing by circular a few days before.
Upcoming MCX holidays
- 20 Oct 2026Dussehra. Morning session closed, evening session open from 5:00 PM.
- 8 Nov 2026UpcomingDiwali Laxmi Pujan (Sunday). Muhurat trading session; timing by MCX circular.
- 10 Nov 2026UpcomingDiwali Balipratipada. Morning session closed, evening session open.
- 24 Nov 2026UpcomingGuru Nanak Jayanti. Morning session closed, evening session open.
- 25 Dec 2026UpcomingChristmas. Both sessions closed.
What the timings mean for traders
- The evening session is the busiest. Europe and the US are open, and US data, oil inventories and central bank decisions arrive then. Most large moves in bullion and crude happen after 5:00 PM.
- Indian holidays do not stop global prices. On a full holiday, gold and crude keep trading abroad. MCX can open far from its last close the next day.
- Partial holidays thin the market. On days when only the evening session opens, liquidity may be lower in the first minutes after 5:00 PM.
- Strategies need the right hours. An automated strategy with a time exit must use the current close, which moves twice a year.
Setting the hours in an automated strategy
When you set a time exit in an automated commodity strategy in QuantPower's strategy builder, such as 15 minutes before the close, check it against the seasonal close and your broker's square-off time. A market alert on the evening open can remind you of positions carried through a morning holiday. More on automating MCX contracts is in MCX algo trading.
Frequently asked questions
What are MCX timings today?
MCX opens at 9:00 AM. Non-agricultural contracts close at 11:30 PM while US daylight saving is in force (from 9 March 2026 until early November) and at 11:55 PM otherwise. Most agricultural contracts close at 5:00 PM.
Is MCX open on Saturday?
No. MCX trades Monday to Friday, except on listed holidays.
Is MCX open on a stock market holiday?
Often in part. On many holidays MCX closes the morning session and opens the evening session at 5:00 PM, while NSE and BSE equity markets stay closed all day. Check the table above.
What is the MCX evening session?
The part of the trading day from 5:00 PM to the close at 11:30 PM or 11:55 PM.
Why does MCX close at 11:55 PM in winter?
US markets close an hour later in Indian time when the US is on standard time, so MCX extends its session to keep the overlap.
Sources
- MCX circular MCX/TRD/636/2025, trading holidays for calendar year 2026, 15 December 2025
- MCX circulars on revision of trading hours for US daylight saving time (for 9 March 2026) and US standard time (November)
- MCX: trading hours