Sydney Open Briefing: Friday, September 18, 2026
The Sydney session opens with a slightly risk-off tone, following declines in major indices and gold. The US30 moved lower by 0.73%, DE40 by 0.67%, and XAUUSD by 0.64% since the reference point. In currency markets, NZDUSD declined 0.44%, GBPUSD was down 0.33%, and USDJPY gained 0.32%. This overall sentiment is reflected in the risk meter reading of -0.04.
During the early hours of the session, traders will observe the release of New Zealand’s Trade Balance 12-Months at Thu 22:45 UTC, with a consensus of -5.123B. Also due is Japan’s CPI excl. Food and Energy y/y at Thu 23:30 UTC, where the consensus stands at 1.6%. At the same time, RBA Gov Bullock Speaks at Thu 23:30 UTC, which may provide insights for AUD pairs. Retail books indicate disagreement on AUDUSD by 22 points and on NZDUSD by 21 points.
The primary focus for the Asian session will be on Japan, with the BoJ Interest Rate Decision scheduled for Fri 02:30 UTC. The consensus for this decision is <1.25%, compared to the previous <1.00%. This will be followed by the Monetary Policy Statement at the same time, and later the BoJ Press Conference at Fri 06:30 UTC.
The BoJ Interest Rate Decision is the single most important item ahead.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | US30 -0.73%, DE40 -0.67%, XAUUSD -0.64% |
| Currency strength, 24h | NZD strongest at +0.26%, GBP weakest at -0.32% |
| Risk meter | -0.04 (balanced) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:45 UTC | NZD | Trade Balance 12-Months | Medium | -5.123B |
| 23:30 UTC | JPY | CPI excl. Food and Energy y/y | Medium | 1.6% |
| 23:30 UTC | AUD | RBA Gov Bullock Speaks | Medium | – |
| 02:30 UTC | JPY | BoJ Interest Rate Decision | High | <1.25% |
| 02:30 UTC | JPY | Monetary Policy Statement | High | – |
| 02:30 UTC | JPY | BoJ Monetary Policy Statement | Medium | – |
| 06:30 UTC | JPY | BoJ Press Conference | High | – |
| 10:30 UTC | EUR | ECB President Lagarde Speech | High | – |
Times are UTC. This brief describes measured market state and the published schedule. It is not financial advice and nothing in it is a trade recommendation.