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.
1038 ET - BE Semiconductor's results are strong but it is up for debate whether they drive expectations higher, according to Barclays. The Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment posted stronger orders and guidance above consensus, and its comments around hybrid bonding progress are also positive, Barclays analysts say in a research note. However, the positives aren't really a surprise. "Overall, the quarter is good and developments point to further strong progress but this largely feels in line with what was expected, in our view," the analysts say. Shares trade 4.1% higher at 241.90 euros. (sarah.sloat@wsj.com)
0937 ET - Comcast says its unexpected improvement in broadband was the result of concerted efforts to make the service more competitive. Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong tells analysts that the narrower-than-expected subscriber losses in broadband came from a "comprehensive shift" in strategy. Comcast is prioritizing simple and transparent pricing, and has dialed up investments in current and future customer experience, Armstrong says. The company is also leveraging wireless to support and enhance broadband more expansively, he says. The strategy has come with more costs, with new pricing putting pressure on broadband's average revenue per user. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
0913 ET - Comcast's Peacock streaming service is gaining ground thanks to big sporting events. The platform had a 12% jump in paid subscribers in the first quarter, thanks in large part to major events such as the Milan-Cortina Olympics and the Super Bowl, executives tell analysts. The Olympics were Comcast's most-watched since the 2014 Sochi games, and the Super Bowl was the most-watched in the company's 100-year history. The NBA All-Star game's viewership reached its highest point since 2011. The boost put Peacock on track to approach profitability for the first time next quarter, the execs say. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
0911 ET - TD Cowen is returning Rogers Communications to a buy rating after a sector-wide downgrade on the back of competitive mobile intensity. Analyst Vince Valentini says 1Q results were slightly better-than-expected in most key areas, including wireless pricing in April and more users subscribed to its network. He also says that lower capital expenditure outlook is positive for cash generation, which came as a surprise, and the new lower level is one that should be sustainable even if macro trends improve. He has returned the stock rating to a buy from a hold. TD Cowen had downgraded Rogers to hold in early April, along with telecom peers BCE and Telus. He also raises the target price to C$60 from C$56. The stock rose 14% on Wednesday to C$51.21. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
0901 ET - Comcast's Peacock streaming service was a big driver of growth in the first quarter. The platform logged a 71% jump in revenue, as paid subscribers rose 12% year-over-year to 46 million. Sales surpassed $2 billion for the first time. Peacock's strength was boosted by the Milan Cortina Olympics and the Super Bowl in the first quarter, Comcast says. "Legendary February showcased the strength of our Media portfolio, leveraging the unmatched reach of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl to drive record advertising and strong Peacock growth," Comcast's co-CEOs say. Shares gain 7% premarket. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
0855 ET - Comcast narrowed its broadband subscriber losses for the first time in five years. The broadband residential business lost 65,000 customers in the first quarter, well below the 173,700 customers analysts expected to exit, according to FactSet. Comcast said customers responded well to simpler, more transparent offers and a better end-to-end experience. The narrowed loss also reflected the success of its new go-to-market strategy, Comcast said. The company has faced stiff competition from home internet and high-speed fiber providers, which has made it difficult to grow its broadband business. Shares gain 6.7% premarket. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)The ticker for STMicroelectronics is STM. "STMicroelectronics' Guidance Is Better Than Expected -- Market Talk," at 0823 GMT, included an incorrect ticker.
0517 ET - STMicroelectronics reported better-than-expected sales for the first quarter, Jefferies analysts write in a research note. Revenue growth seems to have come from continued strength at clients like Apple, data centers, low-earth-orbit satellites and the acquisition of NXP's micro-electro-mechanical systems sensor business, they say. The European chip maker said revenue climbed 23% on year to $3.10 billion, above company guidance of about $3.04 billion and a Visible Alpha forecast of $3.06 billion. The figure is also above a Jefferies forecast of $3.05 billion. STMicroelectronics shares trade 8.4% higher at 40.63 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)
0508 ET - U.S. semiconductor company Texas Instruments beat expectation with fiscal first-quarter results, which is driving analog semiconductor stocks higher in Europe, Equita's Alberto Gegra writes. Texas Instruments posted higher profit and revenue on a further acceleration in demand--particulary in industrial and data centers. "The messages from Texas are constructive, both regarding growth in the data center world and with regard to the cyclical recovery that so far seems to continue at a good pace," Gegra writes. Texas Instruments shares jump over 10% in premarket trade, while ON Semiconductor gains 3.9%. In Europe, Geneva-based STMicroelectronics gains 8.3% after reporting its own earnings, while German group Infineon rises 5.5%. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)
0433 ET - iQiyi may face some challenges in the near term, with competition likely remaining an overhang for the video-steaming company, HSBC analysts say in a research note.they note. HSBC cuts its 2026-2028 revenue estimates by around 3-4% and earnings forecasts by 19%-69%, partially due to lower content distribution revenue. AI could accelerate iQiyi's content development and lower content costs, the analysts point out, citing management's remarks. However, such transformation will take time, they add. HSBC maintains a hold rating but cuts the target price to $1.50 from $1.90. The ADRs last traded at $1.25. (tracy.qu@wsj.com)
0423 ET - STMicroelectronics is projecting second-quarter sales above market expectations, Barclays Capital analysts write in a note. The European chip maker is forecasting revenue of about $3.45 billion for the current quarter, above a Visible Alpha estimate of $3.18 billion. Its gross margin--a closely watched measure of pricing power--should be about 34.8%, compared with 33.5% a year ago. "There could be questions why gross margins are not better given price increases and the guided growth but we think the strength of revenues will outweigh this today," the analysts say. STMicroelectronics shares trade 8% higher at 40.47 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com) Corrections & Amplifications
This article was corrected at 07:16 a.m. ET to change the company code to STM from DASTY.
0401 ET - Nokia reported better-than-expected comparable results, with the most important thing in the report being a clear increase in the growth outlook for optical and internet protocol networks, Inderes analyst Atte Riikola writes. This reflects a significant strengthening of the market demand outlook in recent months, he adds. Nokia is increasing its investments in the optical networks business to exploit this growth opportunity. The company now expects its network infrastructure unit to grow 12%-14% this year from 6%-8%, reflecting the increased growth in optical and IP networks. Inderes had expected 9% growth in network infrastructure this year. Nokia also raised its growth expectations in the target market for AI and cloud customers to 27% for 2025-2028, up from 16%, indicating a strong improvement in demand. Shares rise 8.1%. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 23, 2026 12:20 ET (16:20 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments