Live: ASX eyes gains as Wall Street rallies

The ASX is expected to open higher after Wall Street rebounded from Wednesday's sell-off.Technology stocks led the gains as oil prices eased and US bond yields fell.RBA governor Michele Bullock and other senior officials will face a parliamentary committee in Canberra this morning.Follow the day's financial news and insights from our specialist business reporters on our live blog.Disclaimer: this blog is not intended as investment advice.Fri 18 Sep 2026 at 7:15amFri 18 Sep 2026 at 7:15amMarket snapshotASX 200 Futures: +0.5% to 8,815 points Australian dollar: flat at 71.12 US centsWall Street: Dow Jones (+0.6%), S&P 500 (+1.1%), Nasdaq Composite (+1.7%)Europe: Stoxx 600 (+0.9%), DAX (+0.7%), FTSE (+1.2%) Spot gold: +1.8% to $US4,340/ounceOil (Brent futures): -1.6% to $US104/barrelIron ore: +0.5% to $US96.30 / tonneBitcoin: +0.9% to $US76,44410-year bond yield: US 4.94%Prices current at around 7.15 AM AEST Fri 18 Sep 2026 at 7:49amFri 18 Sep 2026 at 7:49amBank of England keeps rates on hold as expected, inflation risks buildThe Bank of England has left interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, but the tone from policymakers has shifted noticeably more hawkish.The Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to keep rates on hold, with chief economist Huw Pill and external members Megan Greene and Catherine Mann again backing a quarter-point hike.The big concern is inflation, and the BOE now expects it to rise slightly above 4% in early 2027, up from 3.1% in August and well above its 2% target.BOE governor Andrew Bailey said the key question was whether higher energy prices start feeding through more broadly into wages and prices.He said, so far, that effect has been "quite subdued, but it is early days". "The longer this goes on, the more difficult this becomes."There was also a surprise for bond markets.The bank paused active sales of government bonds for six months while it works on a longer-term overhaul of how it reduces its gilt holdings.UK bond yields fell sharply after the announcement, while the pound weakened against the US dollar.JP Morgan now expects the bank to raise rates in November. Economist Allan Monks said the latest language "almost sounds as if they have already made up their minds on a November hike", provided there is no major change in the geopolitical outlook.With Reuters Fri 18 Sep 2026 at 7:34amFri 18 Sep 2026 at 7:34amMarkets recap: David Chau's finance reportNeed a quick refresher on Thursday's finance headlines?ABC's David Chau says the RBA is under increasing pressure to lift Australia's interest rates after today's rate hike in the United States.Take a look.Fri 18 Sep 2026 at 6:56amFri 18 Sep 2026 at 6:56amASX set to open higherHappy Friday, all!Welcome to the ABC's business and finance blog.Lin Lin here to take you through the latest market news from overnight and over the morning.The ASX is set to open 0.6% higher.The Australian dollar rose 0.3% to 71.1 US cents.Front and centre on the economic agenda today are appearances by RBA governor Michele Bullock, RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser and the central bank’s chief economist, Sarah Hunter, before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics in Canberra. That is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am AEST.The ABC Business team will be keeping you updated on developments via this blog and across platforms.I'll be back shortly with more!