AND HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Released regularly on Thursday afternoon or as needed in case of urgent matters.
Trading Update – 18 Jul 2024
All times hereafter are expressed in the MetaTrader platform time – GMT+3 (CEST+1).
Weekend Maintenance
MT5: The FTMO-Demo (Free Trial server) will be closed for maintenance between 01:00 Saturday, 20 Jul 2024 and 01:00 Sunday, 21 Jul 2024.
Changes in MT4 quote sessions’ start times:
Due to the inherent technology of MT4, candles are formed in intervals based on the quote session start times. This can result in different candles between MT4 and other platforms for some timeframes for instruments that do not have quote session time starting at 00:00. To align the candle formation times between MT4 and other platforms, the quote session start times for all symbols will be set at 00:00, irrespective of the real quote session times.
To further clarify this change, let’s take XAUUSD as an example. XAUUSD has quote session time (the time when quotes flow to the platform) set at 01:00-23:50. On MT4, this results in H4 candles being formed in intervals 01:00-05:00, 05:00-11:00 and so on. Other platforms are showing the candles in their native times, so MT5 forms the candles at 00:00-04:00, 04:00-08:00 and so on, irrespective of the quote session start time set in the MT5 platform. After the change is applied, the quote session time will be 00:00-23:50 and the H4 candles will be formed in the same intervals on both MT4 and MT5 (00:00-04:00, 04:00-08:00,…).
These changes will be applied on Sunday, 28th Jul 2024. The main reason is for our clients not to run into issues with their Expert Advisors when switching between MT4 and MT5 platforms.
The active trade session (the time when you can actually open and close trades) is defined by Trade hours and these will be without any changes. This change in quote session start time will not have any tangible impact on manual trading, however, it could affect Expert Advisors (EAs). If you are using an EA on MT4, we recommend you review whether this change could impact your strategy. As always, you can test your strategy in a safe environment at no cost, using our Free Trial accounts. Also, please understand that we can’t offer individual consultations regarding your EAs.
As before, you can find trade hours of the instruments in the symbol specification in the trading platform itself or on our symbols page.
Overnight rollover swaps are subject to regular changes and adjustments, reflecting, among other things, interest rate differentials and dividend adjustments. If you are holding positions overnight, please be reminded that it is your responsibility to check these swaps in the contract specification for each symbol, and to adjust (if needed) and manage your positions accordingly. FTMO is not responsible for trading results affected by swap changes or adjustments.
The situation in Ukraine - geopolitical development, sanctions, and markets
Due to the war in Ukraine, traders can experience increased uncertainty in the markets, accompanied by increased volatility on many assets, along with the possibility of price spikes, whipsaws, flash crashes, spread widening and liquidity supply issues. Traders are advised to pay extra caution while trading during these times. Risk management and capital preservation should be the key focus of every trader, just as being aware and adaptive to the market conditions that might be unpredictable or risky.
Unfortunately, at this time, we are not allowed to process payments to regions of Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine and our clients from there, as per the latest sanctions imposed in connection with the war in Ukraine. There are also sanctions targeting some Russian banks and high-profile individuals. We are not allowed to process any payouts to clients and banks on the sanction list. Payouts to our clients from/in the subject locations, or being subject to the sanctions list, will be possible once the imposed sanctions are lifted. Crypto payouts are included in the restrictions.
