What time are the markets most volatile?

The markets are generally most volatile during specific periods, which can be influenced by various factors including economic releases, Federal Reserve meetings, and geopolitical events. Here are the key times when markets tend to exhibit higher volatility:

1. **Right After Economic Reports**: The release of important economic data such as GDP, employment reports, and inflation figures can cause significant market volatility as investors react to the new information.
2. **Federal Reserve Meetings**: The announcement of interest rate changes, quantitative easing, or tightening can lead to substantial market movements.
3. **Geopolitical Events**: Market volatility can increase during times of political uncertainty, such as during elections, trade wars, or tensions between nations.
4. **Around the Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet Announcements**: The Federal Reserve's actions on its balance sheet, such as buying or selling securities, can also cause market volatility.
5. **First and Last Hours of the Trading Day**: These periods often exhibit higher volume and volatility due to the accumulation of orders during the overnight session and the reaction to news events.
6. **Days Leading Up to Holidays**: Market activity tends to increase and volatility can rise as investors adjust their portfolios for the holiday season.
7. **Quarterly Earnings Releases**: The release of earnings reports can cause significant market movements, especially if the results surprise analysts' expectations.
8. **Monday Morning**: Historically, Mondays have been shown to have the highest volatility due to the accumulation of weekend news and the kickoff of the trading week.

In summary, the markets are most volatile during times of significant economic release, Federal Reserve actions, geopolitical events, and quarterly earnings releases. Additionally, the first and last hours of the trading day and days leading up to holidays tend to exhibit higher volatility.