JP Morgan sees upside risk to South Korea rates and expects the Bank of Korea to hike in Nov, Feb and May to a terminal 3.75%, above economists’ median of 3.5%. The bank forecasts Korean GDP growth of 3.8% this year and 3.3% next year and says a semiconductor boom could boost investment, exports, wages and domestic demand. JP Morgan expects the Bank of Korea to hold rates at 3% on Oct. 22 but warns stronger domestic demand and persistent core inflation could push the terminal rate above 3.75%.

Shanghai online property registry shows 1,495 secondary-home (including commercial) online-signings on Sept. 19, the highest single-day total since H2 2026; cumulative September secondary transactions reached 15,597 units as of Sept. 19, up 28% YoY. Kaiyun Aishangli Phase 4 in Dongcai, Pudong opened subscriptions Sept. 18; as of Sept. 20 19:00 local time the project’s subscription rate stood at 206%, triggering points-based allocation. In June the same development’s Phase 3 (plot 2-1) recorded an 84-unit subscription rate above 220%, the first Pudong inner-ring project this year to trigger points. Other September projects that have triggered points include Yuexiu Tianyu (Pudong Senlan), Xiangyu Jinmao·Manjia (Jiading New City), Poly Hongqiao and Song Jingyuan (Qingpu Zhonggu), and Greentown Yuehaitang (Xujing, Qingpu).

Lithium carbonate 2701 futures rallied intraday, up 1.65% at 130,580 yuan/ton; turnover about CNY 6.485 billion, open interest rose by nearly 1,700 lots intraday as volume and OI activity picked up.