The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
1118 GMT - Nvidia shares rise 0.5% premarket ahead of the chip maker's hotly anticipated earnings release due after Wednesday's New York close. Consensus estimates see Nvidia earnings at $1.52 a share and revenue jumping by 67% on-year. "A monster set of results are expected, as the chip maker continues to benefit from massive capex spend by the hyperscalers," XTB's Kathleen Brooks writes. Nvidia stock has moved by an average of 4% following its last eight quarterly releases, Brooks notes. A strong earnings print won't be enough to encourage investors, Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya writes. "The devil will be in the details - cash flow, receivables, margins and forward guidance." (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)
1058 GMT - It matters little that Diageo has set out a weak sales performance, a cut to guidance and a reduced dividend, James Edwardes Jones and Wassachon Udomsilpa at RBC Capital Markets write in a note. The Guinness maker expects an organic decline in revenue for the full fiscal year after booking a net 4% drop over the first half through December, and halves its dividend for the period from a year earlier. Still, the drinks group's new CEO, Dave Lewis, is set to outline his strategy later in the year. Until then, it is difficult to assess expectations for the company's performance, Edwardes Jones and Udomsilpa say. Shares in Diageo sink 6% to 1,761.5 pence. (joshua.kirby@wsj.com; @joshualeokirby)
1057 GMT - Deliveroo's exit from Singapore's market is likely to benefit Grab, Alicia Yap of Citi Research writes. That is despite DoorDash's delivery service in the city-state likely accounting for only a single-digit share of Singapore's delivery market, versus 65%-70% for Grab and 20%-25% for Foodpanda, the analyst says. The exit of a longtime competitor could still mean possible market-share gains for Grab, Yap adds in a note. Meanwhile, Deliveroo's exit from Qatar will likely be a positive development for Meituan's Keeta service, she says. Citi reiterates a buy rating on Grab with a target price of $7.20. Shares closed at $4.15 overnight. (kimberley.kao@wsj.com)
1023 GMT - Global bank HSBC's fourth-quarter results and guidance for 2026 show that its strategic plan is bearing fruit and reflect the bank's "explosive potential," Interactive Investor's Richard Hunter writes in a market comment. "Underneath the bonnet there are many signs of comfort leading to the conclusion that HSBC is comfortably able to forge ahead with its growth ambitions...despite the immediate drain on some of its capital resources given the provisions and Hang Seng Bank acquisition," he notes. The lender's London-listed shares rise as much as 6%, hitting its highest level ever and lifting the FTSE 100 index to fresh highs. (elena.vardon@wsj.com)
1022 GMT - Iberdrola raising profit expectations for 2028 despite facing headwinds is encouraging, RBC Capital Markets analysts say in a note. The Spanish energy giant guides for adjusted net income of 7.6 billion euros in 2028 despite facing a declining trend in power prices and the negative effect of currency swings, the analysts say. For 2026 the company guides for adjusted net profit of around 6.6 billion euros, with consensus at 6.545 billion euros. This is supported by record high hydro reserves--energy which hasn't been sold yet--of 9 Terawatt hours. Shares are down 0.8% at 19.895 euros. (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)
1017 GMT - Wolters Kluwer's 2025 organic revenue growth was in line with expectations, though slightly soft, ING analyst Thymen Rundberg writes in a note. The Dutch information-services company's guidance for the year ahead appears positive and suggests a small acceleration, he says. However, growth will be weighted toward the second half in a few divisions, including the tax and accounting unit, he says. "The key positive of the update is that the company expects 2026 organic revenue growth to be solid, with room for further operating margin expansion, while investing more in AI product development." Shares are up 0.4% at 62.48 euros. (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)
1017 GMT - Heidelberg Materials' optimistic outlook for 2026 should provide some reassurance, Jefferies analysts say in a research note. While the German building-materials group frames the guidance in a similar context to last year, the analysts think foreign-exchange headwinds might lead to minor trims to consensus estimates. "After a very lumpy share price performance so far in 2026, Heidelberg Materials remains inexpensive," they add. Shares trade 3.1% lower at 194.6 euros. (nina.kienle@wsj.com)
1000 GMT - E.ON's guidance for 2026 and 2030 is broadly in line with expectations, UBS analysts write in a note. The German electric-utility company's management will host a call with analysts later Wednesday. This will likely focus on its capital expenditure plan and the regulatory environment in Germany, the analysts write. Investors will want an update on regulatory developments as E.ON is still holding discussions with German authorities on the framework in the next regulatory period, which starts in 2028 for gas and in 2029 for power, they add. Shares rise 2.5% to 19.22 euros. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)
0959 GMT - Much of Aston Martin's 2025 results were already known, with the focus turning to 2026, where guidance has been set prudently, Bernstein analysts say in a note. The British luxury sports-car maker said it expects no volume growth, EBIT towards break-even, and higher free-cash-flow on year. In 2025, the core average selling price was weaker than Bernstein's expectations, but still up 5% on year, driving free cash flow to be slightly positive in the last quarter, the analysts add. Shares trade 0.2% higher at 57 pence. (nina.kienle@wsj.com)
0952 GMT - It would make sense for Diageo's chief executive to shed the drinks maker's China operations, as they aren't core to the company, says Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell. There have been some reports of interested buyers, he says. The company's North America operations are far more important than its China ones, and suggest that younger audiences are showing more interest in spirits than beer, which might give Diageo a push. But the North American spirits segment is very competitive, and results suggest that Diageo might fall behind rivals, Coatsworth says. Drinkers are increasingly turning to cheaper options, he adds. Shares are down 6.3% at 17.56 pounds. (aimee.look@wsj.com)
0946 GMT - HSBC could continue its strong share price performance, DBS analyst Manyi Lu says in a note. After surging by more than 60% last year, its Hong Kong-listed shares have risen an additional 17% in 2026 as investors cheer on its restructuring plans. The bank's 4Q net interest income was higher than expected despite lower interest rates and asset quality largely being in line with expectations, the analyst notes. HSBC's strong revenue growth and return on tangible equity outlook could continue to support its share prices, she says. Meanwhile, the bank could resume its share buyback in 2H, further boosting its share performances. Shares last ended 5.5% higher at HK$142.70. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)
0944 GMT - Any pullback in Hong Kong's property stocks due to the lack of fresh policy support in the city's latest budget could present a buying opportunity for investors, Citi analysts Griffin Chan and Cindy Li say in a note. They note home sales volumes and prices picked up in February and are likely to improve further in March, noting the spring sales season. Rent for offices in the prime Central business district will be boosted by limited supply, alongside rising demand and support from additional pro-business policies this year, they say. Citi expects developers to lead gains within the property sector, followed by property managers of central office spaces and mainland luxury retail stores. Citi names Sun Hung Kai Properties, Sino Land, Hongkong Land and Hang Lung Properties as its most preferred picks in the sector. (jason.chau@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 25, 2026 06:19 ET (11:19 GMT)
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