By:  August 14, 2025 Categories: 

Best Time of Day to Trade During Ment Funding Evaluation

Timing can be everything in trading. And when you’re participating in a prop firm evaluation with strict rules like the one at Ment Funding, knowing when to trade is just as important as what to trade. Certain times of day offer more predictable market behavior, tighter spreads, and better volatility conditions for managing risk and meeting performance metrics.

Understanding Market Sessions

The futures market operates nearly 24 hours a day, but not all hours are equal in terms of volume and movement. Here’s a breakdown of key trading sessions:

  • Asian Session (7:00 PM – 3:00 AM ET): Typically lower volume. Price movements can be range-bound. Better for scalpers who thrive on small consistent moves.
  • London Session (3:00 AM – 8:00 AM ET): Starts to pick up momentum. Economic news from Europe can introduce volatility, especially in currency and index futures.
  • New York Session (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET): The most liquid and active time to trade. US economic releases, market opens, and institutional volume dominate this window.
  • Post-Market (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET): Lower liquidity and less price action. Not ideal for evaluations that require tight spread control and clear risk limits.

Why Timing Matters for Evaluations

Ment Funding evaluations require traders to adhere to strict drawdown limits, daily loss caps, and rule compliance. Trading during volatile or illiquid times can increase slippage and widen spreads, leading to unintentional rule violations.

Choosing the best time to trade ensures:

  • Better order fills with minimal slippage
  • More predictable price action
  • Clearer setups with higher probability
  • Fewer news-related surprises

Best Time Windows to Consider

  • 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM ET: One of the best windows for futures traders. This includes the U.S. market open, economic data releases, and the highest volume of the day. Ideal for momentum and trend-following strategies.
  • 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ET: This mid-day lull sees a decline in volume. Good for range-bound strategies or quick scalps, but traders should be cautious of chop and fake breakouts.
  • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET: The final two hours of the New York session often see a second wave of volatility as institutional traders rebalance portfolios. Be prepared for breakout moves or sharp reversals.

What to Avoid

  • Trading Around News Events: Ment Funding prohibits trading during high-impact economic releases. Check the economic calendar daily and avoid placing trades near FOMC, CPI, NFP, or Fed speeches.
  • Low-Volume Hours: Avoid trading during the Asian or post-market sessions unless you have a specific range strategy and deep familiarity with price behavior during these hours.
  • Fridays After 1:00 PM ET: Liquidity drops significantly and setups become unreliable. Also, reaching the weekend with open positions may introduce gap risk.

Match Your Strategy to the Session

Different trading styles perform better during different times of day:

  • Scalpers: May prefer pre-market or post-market sessions with slower movements and tighter setups.
  • Trend Traders: Perform best during the morning session (8:30 – 10:30 AM ET) when breakouts and momentum trades are more likely.
  • Range Traders: Can take advantage of mid-day consolidation phases or low-volatility sessions like the Asian hours.

Evaluate your strategy and backtest results during different sessions to find your personal edge.

Backtest Your Time Preferences

Before locking in a specific trading time, go back and analyze your trading results by time block. Ask yourself:

  • When do I make the most consistent profits?
  • When do I suffer my biggest drawdowns?
  • Which sessions align with my mental energy and availability?

Most traders find that early U.S. hours provide the best opportunity, but the key is consistency. You don’t need to trade all day—just trade the hours where your edge is sharpest.

Build a Time-Based Routine

Structure helps performance. Try building a trading schedule that aligns with your chosen time window:

  • Pre-market (7:30 – 8:15 AM): Review overnight price action, mark levels, and prep your watchlist.
  • Live trading (8:30 – 10:30 AM): Focus on quality setups only. Avoid distractions.
  • Post-session (11:00 AM): Journal results, review metrics, and stop trading if you’ve hit your target.

By limiting your trading window and sticking to a clear routine, you avoid overtrading and protect your evaluation account from unnecessary risks.

Take Advantage of Consistency

Trading at the same time each day helps build familiarity with market behavior and setups. Your eyes will get trained to spot patterns faster, and your decision-making will improve with repetition. For Ment Funding evaluations, consistency isn’t just recommended—it’s rewarded.

Lock in your best time of day and build everything else around it. With the right time window and discipline, you’ll improve your edge and get funded faster with Ment Funding.

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