What are today's top business/market headlines?

As of Saturday, September 19, 2026, global financial markets are closed for the weekend, but a series of major corporate transitions, central bank decisions, and regulatory approvals have dominated the business landscape.

The top business and market headlines driving the news:

1. Warren Buffett Steps Down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

In a historic milestone for corporate America, legendary 96-year-old investor Warren Buffett has stepped down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.

•The Transition: Effective immediately, Buffett has transitioned to the role of Chairman Emeritus. He will remain a director on the board and continue to provide perspective, but his son, Howard G. Buffett, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Board.

•The Context: The move marks the final phase of a succession plan that began when longtime lieutenant Greg Abel took over the Chief Executive Officer role.

•His Reflection: In a letter to shareholders, Buffett wrote, "Father Time always wins. He has, however, been generous with me. He has given me the opportunity to see Berkshire reach a point where I am more confident than ever about what lies ahead."

2. FCC Clears Foreign Funding for $110B Paramount-Warner Merger

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has cleared a significant regulatory hurdle for David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance in its bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

•The Ruling: The FCC waived the standard 25% cap on foreign ownership, allowing Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds—specifically from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—to indirectly own nearly 50% of the non-voting equity in the combined media giant. Together, these funds are contributing $24 billion to back the transaction.

•Strict Conditions: To mitigate national security and public interest concerns, the FCC ruled that these foreign investors cannot hold voting stock. They are strictly barred from having any influence, direction, or control over management or content decisions (which affect major news divisions like CBS and CNN).

•Current Status: While the FCC and DOJ have cleared the deal, the $110 billion merger remains temporarily blocked by a U.S. judge pending a trial regarding antitrust challenges raised by 12 states.

3. Bank of Japan Raises Rates to a 31-Year High (1.25%)

Following aggressive moves by Western central banks, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) hiked its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%—its highest level since 1995.

•A New Policy Era: BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda declared that the central bank has entered a new preemptive phase focused on preventing inflation from overshooting its 2% target.

•Market Reaction: Because the rate hike was heavily anticipated (89% priced in), the yen and Japanese bond yields did not experience a volatile shock. The Japanese currency actually weakened slightly past 157 per dollar following the announcement, as investors digested a 7-2 split on the board.

4. Wall Street Recap: High Yields and the Fed’s Rate Hike Hangover

U.S. stock indexes closed a highly volatile week with a mixed finish on Friday, September 18, as investors continued to react to the Federal Reserve's tightening cycle.

•U.S. Interest Rates Rise: Earlier in the week, the Federal Reserve enacted its first interest rate hike in three years, lifting the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.75% to 4.00%.

•The Treasury Threat: Markets are feeling heavy pressure from the bond market, where the 10-Year U.S. Treasury yield climbed to 5.00%. A 5% yield provides severe equity competition and raises borrowing costs across the economy.

•Friday Closcre: S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 7,650.50, the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to 26,522.55, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2% to 51,682.64. High trading volume was exacerbated by "Triple Witching" (the simultaneous expiration of stock options, index options, and index futures).

•Resilient Labor Market: Meanwhile, weekly U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly fell to 196,000, signaling that despite rising interest rates, the labor market remains incredibly robust.

Citations (21)

1washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
washingtonpost.com
Backs: “Warren Buffett Steps Down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. In a historic milestone for corporate America, legendary 96-year-old investor Warren Buffett has stepped down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.”
2latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
latimes.com
Backs: “Warren Buffett Steps Down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. In a historic milestone for corporate America, legendary 96-year-old investor Warren Buffett has stepped down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.”
3berkshirehathaway.comNot yet classified
berkshirehathaway.com
Backs: “The Transition: Effective immediately, Buffett has transitioned to the role of Chairman Emeritus.”
4hedgefundalpha.comNot yet classified
hedgefundalpha.com
Backs: “The Context: The move marks the final phase of a succession plan that began when longtime lieutenant Greg Abel took over the Chief Executive Officer role.”
5cbsnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
cbsnews.com
Backs: “The Context: The move marks the final phase of a succession plan that began when longtime lieutenant Greg Abel took over the Chief Executive Officer role.”
6latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
latimes.com
Backs: “Discovery (WBD). The Ruling: The FCC waived the standard 25% cap on foreign ownership, allowing Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds—specifically from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—to indirectly own nearly 50% of the non-voting equity in the combined media giant.”
7investing.comNews and mediaquality 0.54
investing.com
Backs: “Discovery (WBD). The Ruling: The FCC waived the standard 25% cap on foreign ownership, allowing Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds—specifically from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—to indirectly own nearly 50% of the non-voting equity in the combined media giant.”
8bestmediainfo.comNot yet classified
bestmediainfo.com
Backs: “The Ruling: The FCC waived the standard 25% cap on foreign ownership, allowing Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds—specifically from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—to indirectly own nearly 50% of the non-voting equity in the combined media giant. Together, these funds are contributing $24 billion to back the…”
9politicopro.comNews and media
politicopro.com
Backs: “The Ruling: The FCC waived the standard 25% cap on foreign ownership, allowing Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds—specifically from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—to indirectly own nearly 50% of the non-voting equity in the combined media giant. Together, these funds are contributing $24 billion to back the…”
10kelo.comNot yet classified
kelo.com
Backs: “Current Status: While the FCC and DOJ have cleared the deal, the $110 billion merger remains temporarily blocked by a U.S. judge pending a trial regarding antitrust challenges raised by 12 states. 3.”
11thewrap.comNews and mediaquality 0.70
thewrap.com
Backs: “Current Status: While the FCC and DOJ have cleared the deal, the $110 billion merger remains temporarily blocked by a U.S. judge pending a trial regarding antitrust challenges raised by 12 states. 3.”
12qz.comNews and mediaquality 0.86
qz.com
Backs: “Bank of Japan Raises Rates to a 31-Year High (1.25%). Following aggressive moves by Western central banks, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) hiked its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%—its highest level since 1995. A New Policy Era: BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda declared that the central bank has entered a new…”
13euronext.comNot yet classified
euronext.com
Backs: “A New Policy Era: BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda declared that the central bank has entered a new preemptive phase focused on preventing inflation from overshooting its 2% target. Market Reaction: Because the rate hike was heavily anticipated (89% priced in), the yen and Japanese bond yields did not experience a volatile…”
14goldsilver.comNot yet classified
goldsilver.com
Backs: “Market Reaction: Because the rate hike was heavily anticipated (89% priced in), the yen and Japanese bond yields did not experience a volatile shock. The Japanese currency actually weakened slightly past 157 per dollar following the announcement, as investors digested a 7-2 split on the board.”
15mymotherlode.comNews and media
mymotherlode.com
Backs: “Wall Street Recap: High Yields and the Fed’s Rate Hike Hangover. U.S. stock indexes closed a highly volatile week with a mixed finish on Friday, September 18, as investors continued to react to the Federal Reserve's tightening cycle. U.S.”
16thestreet.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
thestreet.com
Backs: “Wall Street Recap: High Yields and the Fed’s Rate Hike Hangover. U.S. stock indexes closed a highly volatile week with a mixed finish on Friday, September 18, as investors continued to react to the Federal Reserve's tightening cycle. U.S.”
17alainguillot.comNot yet classified
alainguillot.com
Backs: “Interest Rates Rise: Earlier in the week, the Federal Reserve enacted its first interest rate hike in three years, lifting the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.75% to 4.00%. The Treasury Threat: Markets are feeling heavy pressure from the bond market, where the 10-Year U.S.”
1836kr.comNot yet classified
36kr.com
Backs: “Interest Rates Rise: Earlier in the week, the Federal Reserve enacted its first interest rate hike in three years, lifting the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.75% to 4.00%. The Treasury Threat: Markets are feeling heavy pressure from the bond market, where the 10-Year U.S.”
19schwab.comCompanies
schwab.com
Backs: “High trading volume was exacerbated by "Triple Witching" (the simultaneous expiration of stock options, index options, and index futures). Resilient Labor Market: Meanwhile, weekly U.S.”
20thestreet.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
thestreet.com
Backs: “High trading volume was exacerbated by "Triple Witching" (the simultaneous expiration of stock options, index options, and index futures). Resilient Labor Market: Meanwhile, weekly U.S.”
21vantagemarkets.comNot yet classified
vantagemarkets.com
Backs: “Resilient Labor Market: Meanwhile, weekly U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly fell to 196,000, signaling that despite rising interest rates, the labor market remains incredibly robust. 1.”