ICT Macro Times are special, short periods during the trading day when the market tends to make significant moves. During these times, the market either seeks out liquidity areas with lots of buy or sell orders or adjusts price imbalances known as fair value gaps. By understanding and trading during these ICT Macro Times, you can enhance your trading strategy and potentially increase your profits.
A macro, as described by the Inner Circle Trader (ICT) himself, is “a short order of instructions that creates an event in price delivery.” While ICT Macros aren’t complete trading strategies on their own, they add an extra layer of confirmation to your existing strategies. They occur during specific times in the London session, the New York morning session, the New York lunch hour, and the New York afternoon session.
In this article, we’ll explore what ICT Macro Times are, how they work, and how you can trade them effectively. We’ll also discuss the best time frames and trading instruments for using ICT Macros and provide insights into maximizing your trading opportunities during these periods.
What are ICT Macro Times?
ICT Macro Times are short time intervals during the trading day when the market is likely to make significant moves. During these periods, the market either seeks liquidity moving to levels where it can execute large orders or it adjusts price imbalances by filling in gaps where the price may have moved too quickly. These macros are based on ICT’s Time and Price Theory, which suggests that the market operates on a schedule and follows certain patterns at specific times. By understanding these patterns, you can anticipate potential market moves.
How ICT Macros Work
During ICT Macro Times, the market often makes sharp moves as it seeks liquidity or fills in fair value gaps. A fair value gap is a price range where little or no trading has occurred, often due to rapid price movements. The market tends to return to these gaps to “balance” the price.
Your trading setup might form before an ICT Macro Time, but these macros can add volatility and momentum, resulting in quick moves that capture liquidity. Sometimes, a trading setup may even form during an ICT Macro Time and reach its target within that period.
Before an ICT Macro Time begins, it’s helpful to identify key levels on your chart. Mark any imbalances or fair value gaps, and note areas of liquidity above and below the current price. Liquidity areas are levels where there are likely to be many orders, such as previous highs and lows.
In the picture above, you can see the US30 15-Minutes chart before the 09:50 AM Macro and price has already taken the buy side liquidity.
Now it is US30 05-Minutes chart and you can see that after 09:50 AM session ICT Macro, price shifted its structure to the sell side.
You don’t necessarily need a long-term bias to trade ICT Macros, but you do need to understand the likely direction of the price during that specific time. Here are some tips to determine the market direction:
- If the price has taken out sell-side liquidity (moved down to areas with many sell orders), you can expect the price to move up to seek buy-side liquidity or fill in imbalances above.
- If the price has taken out buy-side liquidity (moved up to areas with many buy orders), you can expect the price to move down to seek sell-side liquidity or fill in imbalances below.
Once you have a clear idea of the market direction, you can wait for an ICT Macro Time to begin and look for trading opportunities. You can also combine ICT Macros with other trading strategies, like the ICT 2022 Trading Model or the ICT Silver Bullet, to maximize your profits.
An Example of Trading ICT Macros
Let’s look at a real-life trading scenario. Suppose you’re watching the US30 index on a 15-minute chart before the 9:50 AM New York Macro Time. You notice that the price has already taken out a buy-side liquidity level, suggesting that the market may be ready to move down to seek sell-side liquidity.
Switching to a 5-minute chart, you observe that after the 9:50 AM Macro Time begins, the price shifts its structure to the downside. This shift confirms your expectation that the price will move lower.
You identify a fair value gap a small price range where the market moved quickly and left behind an imbalance. The price retraces to this gap, providing an opportunity to enter a sell trade. You place your stop loss above the recent high to limit your risk, and you set your take profit at a level where there’s sell-side liquidity, such as a previous low.
In this scenario, the price moves in your favor, delivering a profitable trade with a good risk-to-reward ratio.
ICT Macro Times in Different Time Zones
Understanding when ICT Macros occur is crucial. Here are the typical ICT Macro Times in both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT):
| ICT Macros | EST Time | GMT Time |
|---|---|---|
| London Macro | 02:33 AM to 03:00 AM | 06:33 AM – 07:00 AM |
| London Macro | 04:03 AM to 04:30 AM | 08:03 AM – 08:30 AM |
| New York AM Macro | 08:50 AM to 09:10 AM | 12:50 PM – 01:10 PM |
| New York AM Macro | 09:50 AM to 10:10 AM | 01:50 PM – 02:10 PM |
| New York AM Macro | 10:50 AM to 11:10 AM | 02:50 PM – 03:10 PM |
| New York Lunch Macro | 11:50 AM to 12:10 PM | 03:50 PM – 04:10 PM |
| New York PM Macro | 01:10 PM to 01:40 PM | 05:10 PM – 05:40 PM |
| New York Last Hour Macro | 03:15 PM to 03:45 PM | 07:15 PM – 07:45 PM |
Types of Liquidity for ICT Macros
During ICT Macro Times, the market often targets specific liquidity levels. These levels can include:
- Previous day’s high or low
- Previous session’s high or low
- Established highs or lows on the 15-minute chart
- Previous week’s high or low
- Current or old week opening gaps
- Relative equal highs or lows (areas where the price has formed similar highs or lows, indicating clustered orders)
Best Time Frames for Trading ICT Macros
Since ICT Macros involve short periods of heightened activity, lower time frames are ideal for spotting and executing trades. You can use the 15-minute chart to identify the overall market direction and key levels of liquidity or imbalances. For trade entries, lower time frames like the 5-minute, 3-minute, or even 1-minute charts provide more precise entry points. These time frames allow you to see the finer details of price action during the ICT Macro Times.
Best Trading Instruments for ICT Macros
ICT Macros were initially developed and tested on indices like the NASDAQ (NQ Futures) and the E-mini S&P 500 (ES). These instruments tend to respond well to the strategies involved in trading ICT Macros. Over time, traders have successfully applied ICT Macros to other markets, including major forex pairs like GBP/USD and EUR/USD, as well as precious metals like gold (XAU/USD). The key is to choose instruments that are liquid and have significant trading volume during the ICT Macro Times.
Best ICT Macro Time to Trade
The New York AM Macros are often considered the best times to trade ICT Macros. This period overlaps with the London session, leading to increased volatility and trading opportunities. Additionally, major economic news releases often occur during this time, further increasing market activity. For traders focusing on stock futures or indices, the 9:50 AM to 10:10 AM New York AM Macro is particularly significant. This period aligns with the opening of the New York Stock Exchange, leading to heightened market movements.
Using ICT Macro Times Indicators
To help identify ICT Macro Times on your charts, you can use the ICT Macros [LuxAlgo] indicator available on TradingView. To add this indicator, go to the “Indicators” tab on TradingView, search for “ICT Macros,” and select the one by LuxAlgo. Once added, the indicator will highlight the ICT Macro Times on your chart, making it easier to spot trading opportunities. Note that this indicator works best on 5-minute or lower time frames. You can adjust the settings to customize the indicator according to your preferences.
Conclusion
ICT Macro Times offer traders unique opportunities to capitalize on predictable market movements. By understanding when these macros occur and how the market behaves during these periods, you can enhance your trading strategy and improve your chances of success. Remember to always combine ICT Macros with sound risk management practices and consider using them alongside other trading strategies for added confirmation. With practice and experience, trading during ICT Macro Times can become a valuable part of your trading toolkit.
FAQs About ICT Macro Times
ICT Macro Times are specific short periods during the trading day when the market is likely to seek liquidity or adjust price imbalances. These times are based on patterns identified by the Inner Circle Trader (ICT) and can provide opportunities for traders to capitalize on predictable market movements.
To determine the market direction during an ICT Macro Time, look for signs that the market has taken out liquidity on one side. For example, if the market has recently taken out a previous high (buy-side liquidity), it may be poised to move downward to seek sell-side liquidity. Observing price action and identifying key levels on higher time frames can help in making this determination.
When trading ICT Macros, it’s best to use a combination of time frames. Use the 15-minute chart to identify the overall market direction and key liquidity levels. For trade entries, use lower time frames like the 5-minute, 3-minute, or 1-minute charts to find precise entry points and monitor price action closely during the ICT Macro Times.
Yes, while ICT Macros were initially developed for indices like the NASDAQ and S&P 500, they have been successfully applied to various markets, including major forex pairs like GBP/USD and EUR/USD, and commodities like gold (XAU/USD). The key is to focus on instruments that are liquid and actively traded during the ICT Macro Times.
It’s recommended to combine ICT Macros with other trading strategies for better confirmation and increased success rates. ICT Macros are not standalone strategies but can enhance your existing approach by adding an extra layer of analysis. Combining them with strategies like the ICT 2022 Trading Model or the ICT Silver Bullet can provide more robust trading opportunities.
