Wall Street banks ramp up digital assistants in bid to win productivity race By Reuters

• Select ASEAN equity markets have experienced divergent performance trends through September 18, with some indices surging while others stagnated or declined. • Thailand's SET Index and Singapore's Straits Times Index rose 26 percent and 22 percent respectively, while Indonesia's Jakarta Composite fell 26 percent.

• Asia-Pacific stock markets rose on Tuesday morning following positive overnight trends on Wall Street. • Japan's Nikkei 225 and South Korea's Kospi increased by 1.38 per cent and 1.67 per cent, respectively.

• Asian stocks rose on Tuesday following a strong performance by technology shares on Wall Street. • The MSCI Inc. gauge of Asian shares climbed 0.5%, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi Index jumped more than 2%.

• Asian markets rose on Tuesday as technology stocks gained and lower oil prices improved investor sentiment. • The U.S. dollar strengthened as investors bet that more interest rate hikes are necessary to control inflation.

• European Central Bank official Philip Lane warned that inflation may become higher and more persistent due to a second wave of rising energy costs. • The warning centers on the risk of "stickier" inflation, meaning price increases that do not easily drop back to target levels.

• Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman warned on September 22, 2026, that persistent oil price increases could raise near-term inflation. • Breman stated that these price hikes may lead to inflation levels higher than those previously assumed in the Bank's September Statement.

• Robert Van Kerkhoff of BNP Paribas discussed the growth and success factors of the European exchange-traded fund (ETF) market at Fund Forum 2026. • The presentation focused on the specific strategies asset managers are using to scale their ETF offerings.

• The United Forum of Bank Unions, representing seven employee and officer unions, has called for a strike over several pending demands. • The Secretary of the Department of Financial Services chaired a meeting to discuss contingency measures to maintain banking operations and essential customer services.

• The US dollar reached a new local high on Friday before retreating as investors reconsidered the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike. • The dollar's advance was limited because other central banks, such as the European Central Bank, have already started or are planning their own monetary tightening cycles.

• Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday following a rally in U.S. technology shares. • South Korea's KOSPI climbed 1.7%, while Taiwan's Weighted Index rose 1.5% with MediaTek surging more than 8%.

• Asian stock markets mostly rose recently as investors awaited a scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington. • South Korea's Kospi index climbed 1.8% to 7,018.98, driven by a 5% jump in Samsung Electronics shares and a 1% increase for SK Hynix.

• Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) added Bursa Malaysia to its list of recognized stock exchanges in July. • This update joins Malaysia with Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand to allow companies from these markets to apply for secondary listings in Hong Kong.