Markets Weekly September 19, 2026 | Joseph Wang

1. Executive Briefing (TL;DR)

• Top Key Takeaways:

  • Bank of Japan (BOJ) Rate Hike Disappoints: The BOJ hiked its benchmark interest rate to 1.25%, but two policy dissents from Prime Minister Takaichi appointees signaled potential friction for future tightening, causing a notable sell-off and depreciation in the Japanese Yen [01:12].
  • Bank of England (BOE) Shifts QT Mechanics: The BOE maintained interest rates but altered its Quantitative Tightening (QT) framework. While scaling back overall pace, it will now sell gilts directly to the UK Treasury, handing control of public debt duration and maturity structure back to the government [].