ICT New Week Opening Gap (NWOG) — Meaning, Trading Strategy & Free PDF

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The ICT New Week Opening Gap (NWOG) is the liquidity void between the Friday closing price (04:59 PM EST) and the Sunday opening price (06:00 PM EST). It is a real fair value gap that acts as a magnet for price during the following week.

In this guide I walk you through the NWOG meaning, the identification, the consequent encroachment level, how to trade it on bullish and bearish setups, the common mistakes traders make and the free PDF download.

NWOG Meaning — What is the New Week Opening Gap?

NWOG stands for New Week Opening Gap. It is the gap between the closing price on Friday and the opening price on Sunday.

This gap may form for many reasons — geopolitical factors, weekend fundamental news, central-bank announcements or natural events that cause price to deviate from its closing level when the market reopens.

Because no trading activity occurs over the weekend, the area between the Friday close and the Sunday open is technically a “void” — there is no liquidity inside it. The market often returns to fill this void during the following week to restore fair value.

Identification of the ICT New Week Opening Gap

To identify an ICT new week opening gap (NWOG) you have to mark the Friday closing price (04:59 PM EST) and the Sunday opening price (06:00 PM EST).

The gap between these two prices is called the new week opening gap, also referred to as a liquidity void because there was no liquidity present during the weekend.

ICT new week opening gaps act as a magnet for price, and price often retests and fills the gaps to deliver fair value because these gaps are themselves real fair value gaps.

After marking the New Week Opening Gap on the weekly chart, always go into lower timeframes (15-minute and 5-minute) to trade the ICT NWOG.

Consequent Encroachment of the NWOG

Consequent encroachment is the 50% (middle) of the new week opening gap, and it can be the most reactive level of price. You can use the Fibonacci tool to measure the consequent encroachment of the NWOG.

By applying the Fibonacci tool (with inputs 0, 0.5 and 1) from the low to the high of the NWOG, you can find and mark the 50% retracement level of the NWOG.

This 50% level is the level I personally watch most closely. Many of the cleanest NWOG reactions happen exactly at the consequent encroachment, not at the gap edges.

Reason Behind the ICT New Week Opening Gap

During the weekend, trading is stopped and price is closed. But unexpected geopolitical events like wars or natural disasters, plus fundamental developments like a change in economic policies, can affect the price.

This effect can be seen on the opening price, which results in the gap between Sunday’s opening and Friday’s closing price.

How to Use the ICT NWOG

According to ICT you should have at least 4 week opening gaps annotated on your chart, which will give you the reference to the fair value of price.

These NWOGs will act as support and resistance levels for price, as well as draw-on-liquidity. You will see price rejection and accumulation around these areas.

To trade the ICT new week opening gap you should have a bias for the next price move.

(I) Bullish NWOG Setup

If your bias is bullish and price is above the ICT NWOG, then you wait for price to retrace and test the NWOG. After the confirmation of reversal — such as a Market Structure Shift in a lower timeframe (5-minute or 15-minute) — you can execute a buy trade targeting the next draw on liquidity.

But if price is below the NWOG and your bias is bullish, then this NWOG will be a draw on liquidity, and price will test and close above it. After price closes above the NWOG, the gap will act as support.

(II) Bearish NWOG Setup

If your bias is bearish and price is below the ICT NWOG, then you wait for price to retrace and test the NWOG. After the bearish confirmation — such as a Market Structure Shift in a lower timeframe (5-minute or 15-minute) — you can execute a sell trade targeting the next draw on liquidity.

But if price is above the NWOG and your bias is bearish, then this NWOG will be a draw on liquidity, and price will test and close below it. After price closes below the NWOG, the gap will act as resistance.

Step-by-Step NWOG Trade Flow

This is the exact sequence I run before placing a trade around an NWOG.

1. Mark the NWOG on the weekly chart. Friday close at 04:59 PM EST, Sunday open at 06:00 PM EST. Annotate at least the last 4 weekly gaps.
2. Mark the consequent encroachment. The 50% mid-line of each NWOG using the Fibonacci tool with 0, 0.5 and 1.
3. Set the higher-timeframe bias. Bullish, bearish or neutral on the daily and H4.
4. Identify the active NWOG for the week. The most recent unfilled gap is usually the dominant one, but older gaps still react when price returns to them.
5. Wait for the retest. Price must trade back into the gap (or the consequent encroachment line) on the lower timeframe.
6. Wait for the MSS. A clean Market Structure Shift on the 5-minute or 15-minute chart confirms intent.
7. Enter on the retracement. Into the order block, fair value gap or mean threshold left behind by the displacement.
8. Set the stop. Beyond the opposite edge of the NWOG (or beyond the displacement candle high/low for tighter stops).
9. Take profit at the next draw on liquidity. Relative equal highs/lows, prior session high/low or the next NWOG above/below.

Best Markets for Trading the NWOG

The NWOG works on every market that operates on a Friday-close to Sunday-open weekly schedule.

• NQ (NASDAQ futures) and ES (S&P 500 futures) — the weekly gap on US indices is one of the most reliable, especially when CME Globex closes Friday at 17:00 ET and reopens Sunday at 18:00 ET.
• GBP/USD and EUR/USD — forex spot weekly gaps are smaller but very clean for the consequent encroachment reaction.
• XAU/USD (Gold) — weekly gaps on gold often print around major US economic catalysts that land Friday afternoon or Sunday evening.

For traders in the United States who follow the CFTC FIFO and no-hedge rules, the NWOG is most natural on NQ and ES futures. The CME Globex weekly close at 17:00 ET Friday and reopen at 18:00 ET Sunday produces the cleanest NWOG signature in any market the ICT framework is applied to. Many of my US-based readers add the NWOG to the same chart they use for the 09:50 NY-AM macro window, since the macro setup often delivers price to the NWOG mid-line.

Why is the NWOG Significant?

The NWOG is considered a liquidity void because no trading activity occurs over the weekend, resulting in a gap. This gap often acts as a magnet for price movements, with price frequently retesting and filling the gap to achieve a fair value.

The market is mean-reverting around the NWOG even on otherwise trending weeks. That is why I treat the NWOG (and especially the consequent encroachment) as one of the highest-quality non-news draw-on-liquidity targets on the chart.

Why is it Recommended to Track Multiple NWOGs?

Tracking multiple NWOGs on your chart helps you understand the market’s fair value over time and provides key support and resistance levels. This information is crucial for making informed trading decisions based on price behaviour around these gaps.

ICT specifically recommends keeping at least 4 NWOGs annotated. In my own log I keep the last 8 to 10 because price routinely returns to a gap that printed two months earlier — and those older gaps still produce textbook reactions.

Common Mistakes Around the NWOG

These are the recurring mistakes I see when traders first start trading the NWOG.

1. Wrong reference times. Use 04:59 PM EST for Friday close and 06:00 PM EST for Sunday open. Charting platforms in other time zones can shift the gap if the broker’s server time is different from EST.
2. Ignoring the consequent encroachment. The 50% midpoint is often more reactive than the gap edges. Marking only the high and low of the gap misses the cleanest reaction.
3. Trading without bias. An NWOG is a draw-on-liquidity, not a stand-alone trade. The higher-timeframe bias decides whether the gap acts as support, resistance or just a magnet to fill.
4. No MSS confirmation. A wick into the gap is not the entry. The lower-timeframe Market Structure Shift is the trigger.
5. Stop too tight. Stops parked at the immediate edge of the gap often get hunted on the second test. The opposite edge of the gap (or the displacement candle low/high) is the conservative stop.
6. Annotating only the current NWOG. Older NWOGs continue to react. Keep at least the last 4 on the chart at all times.

ICT New Week Opening Gap PDF Download

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FAQs about the ICT New Week Opening Gap

Brief answers to the questions readers ask most often about the NWOG.

What does NWOG mean in trading?

NWOG stands for New Week Opening Gap. It is the gap between the Friday closing price (04:59 PM EST) and the Sunday opening price (06:00 PM EST), treated as a liquidity void by ICT traders.

What is the NWOG in ICT?

In ICT terminology, the NWOG is a real fair value gap formed over the weekend. Price often returns to fill it during the following week, making it a draw-on-liquidity and a high-quality support or resistance level.

How do I identify the NWOG on my chart?

Mark the Friday close at 04:59 PM EST and the Sunday open at 06:00 PM EST. The price range between these two levels is the NWOG.

What is consequent encroachment of the NWOG?

Consequent encroachment is the 50% midpoint of the NWOG. It is often the most reactive level inside the gap and is found by applying the Fibonacci tool with 0, 0.5 and 1 from the low to the high of the gap.

How many NWOGs should I keep on my chart?

ICT recommends at least 4 NWOGs annotated on the chart at all times. Older gaps continue to react when price returns to them.

How do I trade a bullish NWOG setup?

With a bullish bias and price above the NWOG, wait for price to retrace into the gap, confirm with a Market Structure Shift on the 5-minute or 15-minute chart, then enter long targeting the next draw on liquidity.

How do I trade a bearish NWOG setup?

With a bearish bias and price below the NWOG, wait for price to retrace into the gap, confirm with a Market Structure Shift on the 5-minute or 15-minute chart, then enter short targeting the next draw on liquidity.

What time zone is the NWOG measured in?

EST (Eastern Standard Time). Use 04:59 PM EST for Friday close and 06:00 PM EST for Sunday open. Adjust your charting platform if it displays a different broker server time.

Is the NWOG the same as a regular fair value gap?

The NWOG is a specific category of fair value gap formed over the weekend liquidity void. The mechanics are similar — price tends to return and fill — but the NWOG is anchored to the weekly close/open rather than to intraday displacement.

Does the NWOG work on indices and gold?

Yes — NQ, ES and XAU/USD form clean weekly gaps that the algorithm routinely returns to fill. The NWOG mechanic applies to every instrument with a weekly close-open cycle.