The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
0827 GMT - Alibaba Group's latest chip is unlikely to have a major impact on the company's overall revenue, Morningstar's Chelsey Tam says in a commentary. The launch of XuanTie C950 is a positive development for China's efforts to achieve self-reliance in advanced technology, Tam says. The chip could also improve supply-chain resilience amid scarce computing power and lower overall costs. But Tam notes that Alibaba's T-Head chip business generated revenue of more than 10 billion yuan in 2025, a fraction of the company's total revenue last year. Capacity constraints also make it hard for the company to increase chip production drastically, she adds. (tracy.qu@wsj.com)
0806 GMT - Bitcoin rises marginally following a recovery in U.S. and Asian stocks overnight after President Trump said the U.S. would postpone strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. Trump said Monday the attacks would be halted for five days after constructive talks, allowing risk sentiment to rebound and boosting cryptocurrencies. However, Iran denied that such negotiations were held, keeping uncertainty elevated and limiting gains in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin edges up 0.5% to $71,267, LSEG data show. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)
0752 GMT - Gold prices are broadly flat after falling sharply in the previous trading session, with investors closely monitoring developments in the Middle East. Futures in New York trade at $4,405.50 a troy ounce, but remain down nearly 12% on the week. "The Middle East war continues to trigger a broad macroeconomic shock across global markets, forcing investors to reprice inflation, rates, growth, and liquidity conditions simultaneously," analysts at Saxo Bank say. "Gold is being sold because it remains one of the few liquid assets still showing gains over the past year." The precious metal is pressured by fears that high energy prices will fuel inflation and dampen hopes for further interest-rate cuts in the near term. Meanwhile, silver futures tick 0.2% higher to $69.47 an ounce, while platinum is down 0.4% to $1,856 an ounce. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)
0750 GMT - The dollar rises along with oil prices as optimism over an easing of the Middle East conflict fades. President Trump said Monday that the U.S. would postpone military strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure for five days following constructive talks but Iran said no such talks took place. Trump's comments caused the dollar to fall as oil prices dropped and risk sentiment recovered but the moves proved short-lived given Iran's failure to confirm progress toward ending the conflict. The dollar is negatively correlated to risk sentiment as a safe haven and positively correlated to oil prices as the U.S. is a net exporter of the commodity. The DXY dollar index rises 0.3% to 99.231. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)
0746 GMT - Nordic markets are seen opening slightly higher with IG calling the OMXS30 up 0.3% at around 2901. Stock markets surged higher yesterday after President Trump reported productive talks with Iran and flagged a pause in attacks on energy and infrastructure for five days, SEB economist Pia Fromlet writes. However, some gains pared after Iran denied the talks. "Whether the crisis continues to escalate or if we have experienced another TACO [Trump Always Chickens Out] remains to be seen." Last night, there were reports of Iranian attacks on several countries. Most stock markets in Asia are higher, while futures in Europe and U.S. point lower. Danes head to the polls today in what is expected to be a close race in the Danish election, Fromlet adds. OMXS30 closed at 2892.19, OMXN40 at 2388.62 and OBX at 1901.00. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)
0727 GMT - External demand is expected to support Malaysia's economic growth in 1Q, backed by a solid trade surplus and sustained export momentum from late 2025, says TA Securities analyst Farid Burhanuddin in a note. A surplus comparable to 4Q 2025 appears achievable, requiring less than 10 billion ringgit in additional surplus over the rest of the quarter, he says. However, risks remain. Weakness in intermediate goods exports and a stronger ringgit could weigh on near-term export momentum, he reckons. TA Securities maintains its 2026 export growth forecast at 4.6%, with imports rising 6.2%, keeping the trade surplus at around 135 billion ringgit. TA Securities is also watching for ringgit appreciation, persistent weakness in intermediate goods, escalating U.S. trade tensions and prolonged geopolitical uncertainty.(yingxian.wong@wsj.com)
0720 GMT - Li Ning's solid revenue growth guidance and likely better operating expenditure control gain it a new bull at CGS International. The Chinese sportswear company's 2025 results beat the analysts' expectations thanks to the running and training segments. The company is targeting high single-digit revenue growth in 2026 with flattish or slightly improving gross profit margin, which is stronger than CGS International's expectations, they say in a note. The analysts raise their 2026-2027 earnings per share projections by around 10%-12% due to wider-than-expected margin expansion. CGSI raises its rating to add from hold and lifts its target price to HK$26.20 from HK$19.20. Shares are up 4.3% at HK$21.98.(megan.cheah@wsj.com)
0719 GMT - The recovery for Indian banks' net interest margins expected from 4Q FY 2026 may be delayed by a few quarters, Nomura analysts say. One reason is that banks' current account savings account ratios are moderating, versus Nomura's previous assumption of stability. This is because depositors are migrating savings into higher-yielding term deposits as rate differentials widen, and digital banking has shown increased effectiveness. Secondly, wholesale funding costs have been rising due to structural deposit tightness. Domestic banks with higher residual liquidity buffers and stronger liability franchises appear best placed in this environment. Kotak Mahindra Bank stands out most clearly, says Nomura, which upgrades the stock's rating to buy from neutral while lowering the target price to 445.00 rupees from 460.00 rupees. Shares are 3.3% higher at 368.20 rupees. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
0642 GMT - Weibo's undemanding valuations keep Citi analysts led by Alicia Yap bullish on the stock. The Chinese social-media platform posted mixed 4Q results, with revenue beating consensus estimates but net profit missing, the analysts say in a note. The company sees an opportunity to capture the fast evolution of AI and is stepping up investment in the area, which is likely to lead to a near-term drag on margins, the analysts say. They see potential upside for Weibo from AI search products and improved monetization. Citi retains its buy rating and $12.00 target price on Weibo's ADRs. ADRs last closed 1.15% higher at $8.76.(megan.cheah@wsj.com)
0639 GMT - Delfi is likely to benefit from strong cash generation, CGS International's Tay Wee Kuang says in a research report. This could continue to support higher marketing expenses this year to position the Singapore-listed company to capture stronger earnings growth next year, the analyst says. This earnings growth should be aided by expansion in the chocolate confectionery manufacturer's gross profit margins following continued fall in cocoa prices since January 2025 as its existing cocoa forward hedges expire. The brokerage lifts its 2026 and 2027 EPS forecasts by 1.4% and 15.1%, respectively. It raises the stock's target price to S$0.91 from S$0.81 with an unchanged hold rating. Shares are 1.6% lower at S$0.92. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
0626 GMT - Estee Lauder's talks to merge with Spanish beauty group Puig Brands come as a surprise, and potential interest from other industry players could emerge, J.P. Morgan analysts say in a research note. "We are surprised that the Puig family will relinquish independence and majority control--even if it retains its economic interest--of the 112-year old group and given the recent market introduction," the analysts say. "Also, we think such a development is intriguing given recent governance changes--Marc Puig becoming chairman and the appointment of a new CEO." A potential deal might raise antitrust questions for the U.S. prestige makeup market, given that Estee Lauder is a leading player and Puig's Charlotte Tilbury is the No. 3 brand in that segment, according to JPM. Estee Lauder shares closed 7.7% lower on Monday, while Puig's gained 3.6% before news of the talks broke. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)
0608 GMT - AEM Holdings stands to benefit from its strategic partnership with Taiwan's ASE Technology, Maybank Research's Jarick Seet says in a research report. The partnership is aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence and high-performance computing test innovation, the analyst notes. This partnership should boost the Singapore-listed semiconductor test solutions provider's revenue and net margin in 2027-2028, the analyst says. Also, AEM will continue expanding in Taiwan and jointly integrate its test technologies into ASE Technology's Taiwan manufacturing and test environments, which should boost AEM's revenue. Maybank Research raises the stock's target price to S$4.84 from S$2.84 with an unchanged buy rating. Shares are 2.8% higher at S$4.07. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 24, 2026 04:27 ET (08:27 GMT)
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