FTSE 100 Edges Up at the Open as Bank of England Decision Looms
As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on September 18, 2026.
- 🇬🇧 FTSE 100+0.09%
- 🇩🇪 DAX-0.04%
- 🇫🇷 CAC 40—
London opened barely above yesterday's close while Frankfurt slipped, a stalemate that leaves the Bank of England decision as the only catalyst that matters today. Traders are pricing rate expectations Bailey has refused to endorse.
Continue ReadingShow less
The index opened at 14,462, a fractional gain that leaves London traders positioned entirely around the Bank of England's rate decision later today.
Frankfurt's DAX dipped 0.04% at the open, with the CAC 40 in Paris yet to register a move, leaving European equities parked until the decision lands.
Disclosure
*$149 for two years (or $1.43 per week) is an introductory promotion for new members only. 62% discount based on the current list price of Stock Advisor of $199/year. Membership will renew at the then-current list price at the end of the membership term. Stock Advisor returns are 930% as compared to the S&P 500 returns of 185% as of April 7, 2026.
The same investor newsletter that told subscribers to buy Amazon in 2002, Netflix in 2004, and Nvidia in 2005 still publishes two new stock picks every month. Over 23 years, Motley Fool's Stock Advisor has more than quadrupled the S&P 500. New members get this month's picks, the Top 10 Rankings, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click here to unlock their next top stocks while new members are still being accepted.
Traders have been pricing in rate expectations that Governor Bailey has publicly declined to endorse, and that gap between market positioning and central bank guidance is what makes this decision move markets.
If Bailey signals a shift toward the path the market has already priced, relief lifts the index; if he pushes back, the modest opening gains unwind quickly. The flat start leaves very little buffer either way.