The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
1246 ET - Concentrix is building out iX, an AI-powered product suite the company says provides users with enterprise-grade tools to get more done, make processes better and use data more efficiently. These products will open the door for Concentrix to win larger, more transformative deals, CEO Chris Caldwell says on a call with analysts. But in the near-term, the buildout will likely pressure margins and revenue, he adds. "When these programs reach scale and full production, the margin is accretive," he says. "We generally see revenue growth across our portfolio of services for these clients." Shares sink to an all-time low after the company narrows its F1Q profit and issues a tepid outlook for the current quarter. (connor.hart@wsj.com)
1239 ET - Peloton Interactive has a number of structural tailwinds as the fitness industry continues to grow, UBS analysts say in a note. Younger generations are allocating more of their spending on health and wellness, and the rise of GLP-1 drugs is also playing a factor, the analysts say. As the drugs become more affordable and more people use them, they have to urgently incorporate cardio and strength exercises in their daily routines to prevent loss of muscle mass and bone density, the analysts say. Such shifts align well with Peloton's business, given it sells workout equipment and facilitates streaming access to fitness classes. The fitness industry will likely continue to capitalize on consumers' behavioral shifts to prioritize health, the analysts say. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)
1234 ET - Transcontinental's retail services and print segment remains in secular decline, but Scotiabank's Maher Yaghi says cost controls and acquisitions should help offset the strain. The company recently sold off its packaging segment and paid out a C$20-a-share special dividend with the proceeds. Scotiabank downgrades the share price target to C$6 from C$26 to reflect the new scale of the business. "We value that business at 4x EV/EBITDA as the segment remains in secular decline but profitability should be helped by cost reductions and M&A," Yaghi says. Shares are trading 11% higher at C$5.33. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
1231 ET - Peloton's churn rate has been better than expected lately, countering investors' fears that higher subscription prices would cause members to quit, UBS analysts say in a note. However, the stock has still been under pressure because the company lowered its revenue guidance for the fiscal year, with sales hurt by lower uptake of new hardware by existing members. "The issue is that product replacement for existing members was never central to the Peloton story," the analysts say. "What has been more central to the story -- and a source of doubt for investors -- is churn." The analysts say they expect churn to continue to move in the right direction and subscribers to stabilize, allowing Peloton to eventually return to growth. "We see compelling risk/reward," they say, maintaining their $11 price target. Peloton rises 4.7%, to $4.12. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)
1219 ET - Dollarama CEO Neil Rossy says on an analyst call: "When we think about the economic and demand side, it's a very similar setup than what we have seen last year." He notes that the slight nuance this year is that "towards the end of fiscal 26, we started seeing some price increases from the domestic side which will trickle into fiscal 27. So there's a little bit of an uplift when we think about the beginning of fiscal 27." He adds that "it's prudent to start with the same guide as we've had last year at 3%-4%." (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
1205 ET - TransAlta has a number of catalysts ahead of it that can push the stock forward, says National Bank of Canada's Patrick Kenny, upgrading the stock to outperform from sector perform. The stock's recent 22% pullback no longer reflects the value of its upcoming phase 1 Keephills data center project, the US$600 million Centralia gas conversion, or a recovery in Alberta power prices toward the mid-C$70s to mid-C$80s megawatt-hour range, the analyst says in a report. He notes that at its investor day, TransAlta outlined a path to double-digit Ebitda growth through 2029, supported by 900-1,300 megawatt of expected Alberta load growth and incremental contracted cash flows. National Bank maintains its share price target at C$22. The stock is up 6% to C$17.49. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
1134 ET - Dollarama says weather played a large role in the decline in traffic in 4Q. CEO Neil Rossy says in an earnings call that sequentially, the dollar-store chain had strong momentum ending the third quarter and starting the fourth in November, "and traffic then dropped off when we encountered unfavorable weather conditions in January." He says weather in January and February was rather poor, keeping customers away from shops, but that has since improved and "is exactly the same as we've seen in the last few quarters." (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
1115 ET - European distillers say they welcome a deal to eliminate trade tariffs with Australia. The bloc agreed a free-trade deal with Australia after years of talk that will see the elimination of import duties on a range of European goods, including spirits. The deal "will deliver tangible benefits for EU spirits and help level the playing field with other major spirit drink producers, who already enjoy tariff-free access to Australia," says Pauline Bastidon, trade director at industry association spiritsEurope.(joshua.kirby@wsj.com; @joshualeokirby)
1113 ET - The collaboration between Elon Musk's SpaceX and Tesla doesn't just represent plans to build the biggest semiconductor fab in history in Austin, Texas. It also lays the groundwork for Musk to further roll up his technology empire following the merger of SpaceX and xAI last month, according to Wedbush. The planned Terafab "will accelerate the company's ambitious AI path which we believe will set the foundation for TSLA to become an AI powerhouse over the coming years with chip and memory supply expected to be the greatest constraint," Wedbush's analysts, led by Dan Ives, write ina note. "We also believe this is the first step to ultimately what will be Tesla and SpaceX combining forces in a merger likely in 2027." (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)
1055 ET - A deal between Estee Lauder and Puig would reshape the competitive landscape in the premium beauty space, creating a credible challenger to France's L'Oreal, AlphaValue analyst Jie Zhang writes in a research note. Both Estee Lauder and Puig bring highly complementary and powerful brand portfolios, particularly in fragrance, the analyst says. A potential merger of the businesses would create a leading player in premium fragrance, a segment where L'Oreal remains less dominant, she adds. This category remains attractive, the analyst says. (andrea.figueras@wsj.com)
1035 ET - Estee Lauder's potential acquisition of Puig would give the U.S. beauty giant greater strength to compete with its French rival L'Oreal, Bernstein analysts say in a note. No final decision on a deal has been made, and no agreement has been reached, the parties said late Monday. The Wall Street Journal reported that Estee Lauder was in talks to buy the Spanish beauty and fashion group for a combination of cash and stock. "A takeover of Puig would give Estee Lauder well-known perfume and fashion brands such as Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier and Carolina Herrera, helping it compete better against L'Oreal," Bernstein says. (andrea.figueras@wsj.com)
1021 ET - U.S. home prices were little changed from a month earlier in February, Redfin says, rising 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis. That's the slowest growth in seven months. Prices increased 1.9% year-over-year. Price growth is muted because it's the strongest buyer's market in recent history--for those who can afford to buy. There are a record 46% more home sellers than buyers, meaning the buyers who are in the market have negotiating power when it comes to price. Prices are still rising slightly, but this growth pales in comparison to recent years. Mortgage rates have ticked up in the past few weeks following months of declines, but Redfin still expects housing affordability to improve this year as income growth outpaces home price growth. (chris.wack@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 24, 2026 12:46 ET (16:46 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments