The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
1233 ET - CoreWeave had mixed 4Q results and outlook, which Mizuho analysts see as confirmation of the high-risk, high-reward environment the company is operating in. The analysts say they are uncertain about how big CoreWeave's revenue upside potential will be over the near-term, as capacity is constrained. After CoreWeave agreed to buy Core Scientific, Mizuho analysts downgraded the stock and said CoreWeave's risk/reward profile was balanced. The company's stock had a 300% run-up in the three months following its IPO, creating risks of volatility, as well as high customer concentration, the analysts said. Shares slide 19%. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
1225 ET - Brink's Company's plans to acquire NCR Atleos should boost its topline and create a leader in the financial technology infrastructure industry, Truist Securities analysts say in a note. "We embrace the combination," the analysts say, noting the ATM outsourcing market is thriving as banks double down on their core internal operations. They forecast combined revenue of $11.8 billion in 2029, up from Brink's revenue of $5.26 billion in 2025. Still, shares of Brink's fall 17%, which the analysts attribute to the added leverage it would take on under the deal as well as the company's expectations for the transaction to take about a year to close. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)
1206 ET - For Rocket CEO Varun Krishna, there's no question that 2026 will be stronger than 2025. The mortgage lender's CEO is encouraged to see rates are at a three-year low and inventory creeping up as Rocket's real estate platform Redfin begins posting Compass's exclusive listings. "We've expanded distribution across retail, mortgage broker partners, Redfin, Mr. Cooper, and now Compass. That foundation is very intentional because we think it gives us operating leverage across any kind of cycle, no matter what happens in the market," Krishna said. "We don't need perfect markets to grow, and when conditions improve, we simply accelerate." (amira.mckee@wsj.com)
1152 ET - European equities' overperformance compared to global peers won't last, analysts at Bank of America write. European indexes outperformed peers in the U.S. so far this year, with the Europe-wide Stoxx 600 rising 7.2%. In comparison, the S&P 500 edges up 0.4% for the year, while a basket of global stocks represented by the MSCI World index is up 3.1%. Capital goods companies and banks will weigh on European indexes as they fall from their currently high valuations, they say. The strengthening euro compared to the dollar will also weigh on the continent give the negative impact of a strong euro on companies with non-euro earnings, they add. The Stoxx 600 rises 0.3% Friday.(josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)
1151 ET - Rocket isn't really a mortgage company anymore, but it's anchored in hard assets, CEO Varun Krishna tells analysts. The Detroit mortgage lender, which owns Redfin, Rocket Mortgage, and Mr. Cooper, has made investments in technology but isn't fazed by volatility and repricing in the software industry. "Rocket is just very different. We're not a pure software company. We're not an AI company. We're not even really a mortgage company anymore. We're in the business of homeownership, and a home is physical," Krishna said. "It must be toured, it must be financed, and it exists in the real world. That's something that gives us tremendous confidence, because it creates durability." (amira.mckee@wsj.com)
1118 ET - European banks are vulnerable to a trio of headwinds including competition from artificial-intelligence, Bank of America analysts write. Though lending and deposit-taking cannot be replicated, "AI may disrupt the non-regulated part of banking" like in-house investment banking, the analysts say. Moreover, banks may have to cover losses resulting from private credit stress, while lower interest rates hurt income, the analysts say. Elsewhere, though software tumbled over AI competition fears, the analysts say strong fundamentals justify their "nervously overweight" view of the sector. A basket of banking stocks fall 2.1%, while a software gauge climbs 0.3%. Barclays drops 4.4% after the failure of a mortgage lender for which the bank structured loans. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)
1115 ET - AtkinsRealis' legacy projects continue to be a thorn in its side. According to TD Cowen's Michael Tupholme, the 4Q miss was driven by a higher-than-expected lump-sum turnkey loss, with the segment posting a C$59 million EBIT hit, wider than the $17 million expected. Because LSTK contracts locked AtkinsRealis into fixed-price delivery, the overrun becomes their loss, which is why these old projects keep distorting results even as the core business performs. Tupholme still characterizes the quarter as neutral, noting that ex-LSTK, Services EBIT was about 2% above consensus and backlog reached a record C$21.2 billion. With 2026 guidance broadly in line, the analyst says the underlying services and nuclear segments remain solid, but its shrinking LSTK book continues to drag. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
1102 ET - Duolingo's track record of prioritizing product quality and testing gives D.A. Davidson analysts confidence, they write in a note, even as the company prioritizes user growth at the expense of short-term monetization. "We expect that Duolingo will spend the course of 2026 working to find a middle-ground/new monetization tactic that isn't reliant on driving users to subscribe, which we think should eventually pay dividends on daily active user growth over the medium term," they write. "Based on DUOL's prior successes with A/B tests and its product-first approach, we believe these experiments could be successful," the analysts add, maintaining a neutral rating. Shares are down 16%. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)
1031 ET - Duolingo's English Language offerings should be central to the company's efforts to reaccelerate user growth, JPMorgan analysts write in a note, downgrading the stock to neutral and cutting their price target to $95 from $200. The company says it is deprioritizing monetization, instead focusing on reducing friction and introducing new products to drive engagement. The analysts expect the company to expand and optimize its voice-centric learning capabilities, including offering Speaking Adventures to free users. "Combined with advanced learning efficacy, voice capabilities should help DUOL capture a greater share of the English Learning market," they write. "We believe English Language learner growth remains critical to unlocking greater scale over time, w/DUOL's fastest growing geos including Asia, the Middle East, & Northern Africa." Duolingo slides 15%. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)
1020 ET - Duolingo's decision to deprioritize monetization and focus on expanding its user base is smart in the long-term, but creates near-term uncertainty about the stock's performance, KeyBanc Capital Markets analysts write in a note. The company is aiming for accelerated product improvements and changes to its platform to reduce friction for free users, which are meant to drive engagement long-term, but the exact path is murky. "Since Duolingo makes product changes after running experiments, it is unclear: a) when changes will be fully implemented; and b) how quickly this will bend the growth curve higher," the analysts write. "Coupled with a high fixed cost base, this creates a wider range of outcomes on 2027E growth and margins." Duolingo is down 17%. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)
1013 ET - Trump Media and Technology is in talks to spin off assets including social-media platform Truth Social into a newly listed company, after closing its planned $6 billion merger with fusion-energy company TAE Technologies. Shares of the spun company would be distributed to Trump Media holders of record before the TAE deal closes, and the spun company would then merge with SPAC Texas Ventures Acquisition III, the companies say. The spinoff aims to separate Trump Media's social-media business from its bet on commercial nuclear fusion, as the company looks to capitalize on the artificial-intelligence boom's insatiable appetite for power. Talks are ongoing and no agreement is finalized, the companies note. (connor.hart@wsj.com)
1011 ET - Bringing the Mercosur free-trade deal into effect will boost European distillers, says Mark Titterington, director-general of industry association SpiritsEUROPE. The EU is provisionally applying the long-awaited trade pact with four South American nations, a move set to boost trade flows between the two blocs. The move will offer new market access for European spirits makers, as well as protecting geographical designations and phasing out costly trade duties, Titterington says in a release. It will also "provide companies with greater options in terms of diversification," he sys. "Most importantly, it reinforces the EU's leadership in promoting open and fair trade." (joshua.kirby@wsj.com; @joshualeokirby)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 27, 2026 12:34 ET (17:34 GMT)
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