Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk

The latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

0910 GMT - Baidu's shares closed at the highest level in over two years in Hong Kong, likely lifted by news that one of its AI products hit a usage milestone. The stock reversed from an opening loss to finish 1.0% higher, outperforming the Hang Seng Tech Index's 1.2% loss. That came after the company's AI assistant surpassed 200 million monthly active users, according to people familiar with the matter. Baidu's AI-empowered Ernie Assistant is integrated into its flagship search-engine app and on personal computers. Competition among Chinese tech giants has been heating up in the AI space, with ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent and others investing heavily in AI models and applications. (jiahui.huang@wsj.com; @ivy_jiahuihuang)

0903 GMT - Malaysia's trade outlook could be bumpy this year, given renewed tariff threats from the U.S. on targeted countries since early 2026 and an escalation in geopolitical risks, UOB economists Julia Goh and Loke Siew Ting say in a note. They project export growth of a modest 2.5% in 2026, broadly in line with official estimates of 2.8%. Structural support may remain intact, including the AI-driven semiconductor upcycle, ongoing global supply-chain diversification and deeper regional integration, which should help cushion downside risks to Malaysia's external trade, they say. World Semiconductor Trade Statistics projects global chip sales to rise by 26.3% in 2026, and could lead to a cyclical upturn in the semiconductor sector--leading to sustained demand for Malaysia's electronics products this year, they add. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0232 GMT - Aspeed Technology stands to benefit from likely more baseboard management controller shipments, Daiwa Capital Markets analysts say in a report. Based on the brokerage's understanding, the Taiwanese fabless integrated circuit design company has secured roughly 12 million units of BMC shipments for 1H. Daiwa assumes that BMC shipments from regular servers will grow 34% in 2026. It also expects BMC shipments from artificial-intelligence servers to increase to 8 million units in 2026 from around 6 million units in 2025. Daiwa lifts its 2026-2027 EPS estimates for ASPEED Technology by 7%-13% and raises the stock's target price to NT$10,000.00 from NT$7,585.00 with an unchanged buy rating. Shares are 0.7% lower at NT$8,710.00. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

1043 GMT - European semiconductor stocks fall after President Trump promised 10% tariffs on a several European countries. STMicroelectronics falls 4.5% in both Milan and Paris, while French company Infineon drops 3.2%. The two countries' U.S. goods exposure stand at 14% and 12% respectively, analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate. Semiconductor companies that dominate the Netherlands' AEX index drag the market down 1.3%. ASML drops 3%, while advanced packaging manufacturer BE Semiconductor drops 2.2%. ASM International also falls back--slipping 0.55%--though its drop is softened by the announcement of a rise in revenue. Elsewhere, Nordic semiconductor drops 3%. Investors also weigh news that U.S. semiconductor company Micron Technology--which competes with Infineon--will buy a plant in Taiwan as it seeks to address surging memory demand. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

1014 GMT - ASM International's better-than-expected fourth-quarter orders and sales should move consensus forecasts higher this year, JPMorgan analysts write in a note to clients. The Dutch chip-making equipment supplier said orders climbed to roughly 800 million euros, beating company expectations of slightly above 636.8 million euros recorded in the third quarter. Meanwhile, revenue in the fourth quarter came in at 698 million euros, exceeding company guidance between 630 million and 660 million euros. The analysts say they expect consensus forecasts to move higher with a low to mid single-digit percentage sales increase and a higher earnings increase. ASM International shares trade 0.4% higher at 692 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 20, 2026 04:20 ET (09:20 GMT)

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