Between 07:00 GMT (Frankfurt open) and 08:00 GMT (London open), spot gold (XAU/USD) undergoes systematic liquidity extraction. Understanding how algorithmic market makers hunt resting stop-orders gives retail traders an institutional advantage.
1. The Mechanics of the Asian Range Sweep
During the Asian session, low volatility allows retail traders to place stops tightly above the session high and below the session low. When Frankfurt opens, algorithmic market-making algorithms aggressively push spot prices beyond these levels to trigger stop-outs, filling large institutional orders at favorable pricing.
2. The Execution Blueprint
Never buy an initial breakout during the first 15 minutes of Frankfurt. Instead, wait for a liquidity sweep candle that wicks outside the range but closes back inside, followed by an immediate shift in market structure (MSS) on the 5-minute chart.