The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
0806 GMT - Renishaw's new FY 2026 guidance suggests a turning point for the engineering company's financial health, Jefferies analysts say in a note. The upgrade represents a 4% increase in revenue and a 7% increase in adjusted pretax profit compared with previous estimates. Revenue is now expected to be between 775 million and 780 million pounds, while adjusted pretax profit is expected to be in the range of 145 million to 165 million pounds. This implies that second-half adjusted pretax profit margins are now at 21.4%, with top-line growth expected at more than 10% at the new revenue midpoint. It also points to the company nearing its 20% Ebita margin target, signaling its operating leverage is finally kicking in, the analysts say. Jefferies expects a healthy share-price move as the market reacts to the upgrades. Shares are up 7.35% at 44.72 pounds. (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)
0754 GMT - M&C Saatchi's decision to maintain headcount despite a challenging environment has paid off, Panmure Liberum analysts Johnathan Barrett and Sean Kealy write in a note. "2025 was tough with the company getting hit twice by U.S. administration issues - once by the tariff crisis and then again with the federal budget freeze curtailing high margin Issues [segment] revenue," they say. However, the U.K. advertising company has seen an acceleration in first quarter, they note. The analysts still expect profit to grow as planned, supported by cost savings and the full-year impact of recent acquisitions. Shares are down 0.9% at 114 pence. (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)
0745 GMT - Malaysia's 2026 inflation trajectory is likely to face pressure from rising global geopolitical tensions, TA Securities analyst Farid Burhanuddin says, noting Brent crude oil prices is a key factor to monitor. Headline CPI could rise by around 0.03 percentage points for every $10 increment in Brent crude oil prices, he notes. However, the actual pass-through from higher oil prices will depend on Malaysia's subsidy mechanisms, pricing policies and demand conditions. Malaysia's 2026 headline inflation is projected at 2.1%-2.6%, under TA Securities' base case, which assumes Brent crude oil prices would average $80-$100 a barrel.(amanda.lee@wsj.com)
0735 GMT - Shares of European semiconductor companies fall after Iran said over the weekend that it would close the Strait of Hormuz again and restrict shipping until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports. Meanwhile, President Trump said the U.S. had seized an Iranian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman. Shares of Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker ASML Holding and smaller rival ASM International are down 1.3% and 1%, respectively. Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are down 0.4%. German chip maker Infineon Technologies is down 1.7%. STMicroelectronics shares are down 0.2%. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)
0731 GMT - European markets open lower after closing last week higher as tensions between the U.S. and Iran increase ahead of expected talks between the two countries in Pakistan this week. London's premier FTSE 100 index is down 0.4%, although energy companies rise on the back of higher oil prices. BP shares are up 2.5% while Shell is trading 2.35% higher. Germany's DAX is down 1.1%, the Europe-wide Stoxx 600 index is 0.9% lower and France's CAC 40 is down 1%. (ian.walker@wsj.com)
0721 GMT - European oil stocks rise in opening trade as crude prices rebound from Friday's sharp decline. In early European trading, Brent crude for June delivery rises 5.5% to $95.34 a barrel, while WTI futures for May gain 6.1% to $89 a barrel. There have been two days of confusion as to whether the Strait of Hormuz is actually open to shipping traffic. Prices tumbled late last week after Iran said the waterway was open but the U.S later seized an Iranian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman. In London, Shell is up 2.3% while BP rises 2.5%. France's TotalEnergies is up 2.2%. Spain's Repsol and Italy's Eni are both up around 2.5%. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)
0719 GMT - Angel One's customer activity appears to be gaining momentum, HDFC Securities analysts say in a research report. Its 4Q FY 2026 performance is viewed as meaningful improvement in customer engagement, with daily orders per client rising 12%, the analysts say, reinforcing their conviction that activity levels are on a sustainable recovery path. As broking activity at Angel One gathered pace, contribution of broking revenue to the Indian company's overall mix rose to 61% in 4Q. HDFC Securities expects this contribution share to trend gradually toward mid-60s% over FY 2027-2028, aided by sustained improvement in client engagement. The brokerage raises the stock's target price to 350.00 rupees from 288.00 rupees, with an unchanged buy rating. Shares are 2.2% lower at 316.35 rupees. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
0655 GMT - Malaysia shows no signs of slowing data center demand, despite the ongoing global macroeconomic uncertainties, TA Securities analyst Ng Hong Tong says in a note. Infrastructure company Gamuda and builder Sunway Construction both recently secured contracts to build hyperscale data centers in Malaysia. The companies' contract wins reflects Malaysia's strong structural demand for digital infrastructure, driven by the continuous growth in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data consumption. TA Securities maintains an overweight rating on Malaysia's construction sector and keeps its buy and hold ratings for Gamuda and Sunway Construction, respectively.(amanda.lee@wsj.com)
0649 GMT - International Container Terminal Services' Capital Market Day held earlier this month reaffirms Citi Research's bullish view on the company, analyst Kaseedit Choonnawat says in a research report. The CMD provided some new details, including that demand at the Manila International Container Terminal operated by the Philippine terminal operator is very healthy, rising around 5% year to date, the analyst notes. Also, no shipping line has indicated intra-Asia contraction potentially stemming from higher fuel prices hurting consumption power, the analyst adds. Citi Research maintains the stock's buy rating, but raises the target price to 835.00 Philippine pesos from 659.00 pesos to partly reflect valuation rollover. Shares are 1.4% higher at 719.50 pesos. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
0613 GMT - High inflation has weighed on both Japanese households and food companies, a Tokyo Shoko Research survey suggests. The pace of year-over-year revenue increases among Japanese food makers slowed to 3.4% in 2025, compared with 7.6% in 2023, the survey shows. "As the cycle of cost-push price increases reaches its peak, consumers may increasingly be shunning higher-priced goods," the research firm says in a report. Meanwhile, nearly half of the food companies surveyed reported weaker profit, suggesting that price hikes have failed to keep pace with rising costs, Tokyo Shoko Research says.(megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com )
0608 GMT - National Australia Bank keeps its bull at Jefferies despite a hit to earnings forecasts from the Iran conflict and software write-downs. Analyst Andrew Lyons cuts his fiscal 2026 EPS forecast by 16% after the lender said it would increase credit impairments to A$706 million when it announces its fiscal first half result. Lyons had been anticipating a charge of just A$440 million. He tells clients in a note that second-half expenses will also be higher than previously anticipated given changes to the treatment of investment spending following NAB's decision to change its software capitalization policy. However, looking past fiscal 2026, Lyons trims his EPS forecasts for fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 by just 2%. Jefferies cuts its target price 4.6% to A$47.73 and keeps a buy rating on the stock, which is down 3.6% at A$41.01. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)
0602 GMT - Thailand's stock market faces earnings pressure from a prolonged U.S.-Iran conflict, according to CGS International's Kasem Prunratanamala. The pressure will likely be concentrated in the transportation, tourism, retail, consumer-finance, property and contractor industries, reflecting external shocks and weaker domestic demand, the analyst writes in a research report. By contrast, the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors could benefit from higher energy prices, though potential government intervention in oil refining margins is a risk, the analyst says. Since the conflict began, CGS International has lowered its 2026 EPS growth forecast for the Thai stock market to 1% from 8%. The brokerage names 13 companies as its top picks, including PTT, PTT Exploration & Production and True. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 20, 2026 04:06 ET (08:06 GMT)
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