The latest Market Talks covering Financial Services. Exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.
1036 ET - The U.S. luxury housing market is showing two distinct personalities, according to Realtor.com. While the national entry point for luxury softened, falling 2.2% year-over-year to $1.22 million, a deeper dive into metro trends reveals a split between local hotbeds of intense competition and markets where price corrections are effectively re-engaging buyers and boosting sales. The report identifies a group of metros, including Heber, Utah; Boise City, Idaho; and Minneapolis, Minn. where rising prices are coupled with a faster sales pace, signaling strong buyer competition for limited inventory. Conversely, markets such as Bridgeport, Conn; Charleston, S.C., and Atlantic City, N.J. are witnessing significant price drops that are successfully clearing inventory, leading to dramatically shorter days on the market. (chris.wack@wsj.com)
0946 ET - Home shoppers this fall are seeing some of the steepest price cuts in years, Zillow says. The typical listing received cumulative discounts totaling $25,000 in October, offering a sliver of an opening for patient buyers waiting for relief from record-high costs. These deeper discounts reflect a housing market slowly finding balance. Home sellers are recognizing that affordability pressures are weighing on today's buyers, and that they can still turn a profit after a price cut. With listings taking longer to move, sellers are increasingly trimming prices more than once as they adjust to a more buyer-friendly market. Most homeowners have seen their home values soar over the past several years, Zillow says, which gives them the flexibility for a price cut or two while still walking away with a profit. (chris.wack@wsj.com)
2207 ET - Barclays research expects risk assets to find a firmer footing and the U.S. dollar to strengthen into 2026. The USD has remained resilient, despite market uncertainty-fueled jitters over AI valuations, returns on investment spending and earnings growth. "Our constructive view on the USD is largely predicated on extensive U.S. AI capex plans that could be economically, geopolitically, and competitively transformational for the USD," it says in a note. Moreover, receding Fed independence concerns, easing tariff risks and fiscal stimulus suggest that USD momentum will be positive into 2026, it says. "Even if risk sentiment deteriorates further, USD/JPY is expected to see further upside while high-beta EM FX could be vulnerable," it adds.USD/JPY is at 156.6, according to LSEG. (monica.gupta@wsj.com)
2145 ET - Citi analyst Thomas Strong gives a firm "no" to anyone wondering whether it's time to become more positive on Commonwealth Bank. He acknowledges that shares in Australia's largest bank have significantly underperformed relative to peers over 2025, but expects this to continue. Strong points out in a note to clients that Commonwealth was trading at a historically high 90% premium to its major rivals at the start of the year, compared with 15%-20% pre-Covid. That's now down to about 50%. However, he thinks that earnings momentum at ANZ, and to a lesser extent at Westpac, will keep up the pressure on Commonwealth's relative performance. Strong's order of preference for Australian banks is: ANZ, Westpac, NAB and Commonwealth. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)
2031 ET - Malayan Banking's net interest margin is expected to remain stable, supported by the ongoing repricing of fixed deposits, Public Investment Bank analyst Wong Ling Ling says in a note. Management has revised its guidance and now expects 2025 net interest margin to hold steady, compared with earlier expectations of a slight decline. She says Maybank, as the bank is commonly known, remains a preferred pick due to its defensive earnings outlook, a dividend yield of more than 6% and stable asset quality, she adds. Public Investment Bank maintains an outperform rating on Maybank and keeps its target price at MYR11.20. Shares are 0.1% lower at MYR9.93. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)
2005 ET - Malayan Banking's noninterest income momentum may continue rising steadily, driven by stable core fees and gains from trading and foreign exchange, CIMB Securities analyst Ei Leen Tan says in a note. She raises Maybank's 2025 net profit forecast by 10.1% to reflect lower impairment and stronger noninterest income, while 2026-2027 earnings are lifted by 5.3%-5.4% on higher net interest margin estimates and higher noninterest income. CIMB upgrades Maybank's rating to buy from hold, and raises the target price to MYR10.50 from MYR9.85. Shares are 0.1% lower at MYR9.93. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 24, 2025 12:20 ET (17:20 GMT)
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