The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
0908 ET - Unilever is expected to increase prices to offset higher costs, Bank of America's Nicolas Ceron and Antoine Prevot write. Prices are likely to be 2.9% higher in the second half of this year, compared with 0.9% higher in the first quarter, with the biggest increases in the London-listed consumer-goods group's HomeCare unit, they say. Unilever should deliver its 2% volume growth target this year but could generate higher organic sales if the company hikes prices, the analysts add. Shares are up 1.6% at 43.66 pounds. (julia.nasser@wsj.com)
0812 ET - Cboe Global Markets listed prediction markets as one of its top investment priorities as it reallocates cash following a 20% workforce reduction. CEO Craig Donohue says "financial and economic event markets" are among the "emerging areas" where the company would like to invest more resources following the job cuts, which are set to reduce operating costs this year. Cboe debuted a new prediction markets framework in March. Unlike most prediction markets platforms where users can place money on either "yes" or "no" outcomes, Cboe's patent-pending framework lets users pick between three payout options. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
0742 ET - Rolls-Royce had a strong start to the year with increased engine flying hours, which beat expectations despite travel disruption from the U.S.-Iran war, Bank of America analysts Benjamin Heelan and Lorenzo Di Patrizi write. "This performance reinforces our view that the widebody market is proving more resilient than expected," they say. BofA raises FY26 free cash flow forecast 8% and FY27 by 2%, reversing cuts announced in March. Power orders were up 50% on year, and defense sectors showed material growth reinforcing the promising momentum at group level, the analysts say. Shares are down 1.1% at 1,169.40 pence, after rising 7.6% Thursday. (julia.nasser@wsj.com)
0740 ET - Bitcoin rises as U.S. stock futures point to further gains on Wall Street in opening trade after a strong end to April. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed April with their largest monthly gains since 2020 as upbeat corporate earnings and renewed demand for tech stocks mitigated concerns about the Iran war. Apple is the latest company to add to the rally with its shares rising in pre-market trade after posting stronger-than-expected sales. However, uncertainty over the Iran war limits bitcoin's gains, keeping it range-bound and below the key $80,000 level. Bitcoin rises 1.1% to $77,270, LSEG data show. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)
0740 ET - Apple's approach to AI will show whether it pays off in time, AJ Bell's Russ Mould writes in a note. "It is spending much smaller sums [than its hyperscaler peers] and turning to partnerships instead of trying to take a lead in the artificial intelligence arms race," he says. Some call this the neutral strategy, which involves letting users choose which AI tools to use on their devices and implies much lower cash flow, he adds. Apple's decision to sit on the sidelines of the AI race makes the performance of its core products and services even more significant, he says. Shares are up 3.6% premarket. (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)
0726 ET - Estee Lauder will cut more jobs in its restructuring than it initially expected, now anticipating the elimination of between 9,000 and 10,000 positions, up from a prior estimate of between 5,800 and 7,000. The owner of beauty brands including MAC and Smashbox attributes the increase largely to the reduction of point-of-sale demonstration roles across its department-store and freestanding-store channels. As part of its restructuring, the company has been moving away from those channels, towards higher-growth ones such as Amazon and TikTok Shop. Estee Lauder says the additional job cuts will increase savings, helping to offset inflation and fuel additional investments in the business. Estee Lauder surges 11% premarket.(connor.hart@wsj.com)
0710 ET - Unilever's share price doesn't reflect the consumer-goods company's ability to increase sales volumes or its judicious management of its assets, Bank of America's Nicolas Ceron and Antoine Prevot write in a note. The London-listed group's capital allocation strategy is more clear-eyed than those of its peers, making the stock undervalued, they say. Unilever spun off Magnum Ice Cream late last year. The company reported expectation-beating first quarter sales growth. The group will likely increase prices later this year in response to higher oil prices resulting from the Iran war, the analysts note. Unilever shares gain 1.55%.(josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)
0645 ET - Capgemini's AI narrative fails to mask underlying organic growth concerns, Baader Europe's Maximilien Pascaud writes in a note. The French consulting and technology group delivered higher revenue for the first quarter, mainly driven by AI. "The group is adopting a progressive approach, integrating AI 'by design' into its offerings and evolving toward use cases that are fully embedded in business processes," he says. However, uncertainties persist about margins and the sustainability of contracts in an environment in constant search for value, he adds. (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)
0629 ET - Apple beat consensus expectations, with revenues up 17% in the fiscal second quarter and expected to rise by 15% in 3Q, Quilter Cheviot's Ben Barringer says. This revenue rise is driven mostly by higher sales of the iPhone 17, and China sales recovering well after a period of underperformance. Additionally, Mac mini sales are gaining momentum. The U.S. tech giant's sales could have been even higher had they not been constrained by supply tightness for chips, Barringer notes. The tech company said it would allocate more money to investments in artificial intelligence, the analyst says. Apple shares rise 3.2% premarket. (julia.nasser@wsj.com)
0600 ET - Capgemini had a solid start to the year, Berenberg's Meha Pau writes in a note. The French consulting and technology group reported higher revenue for the first quarter as customers continued to accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence. Capgemini has adopted an AI-focused strategy to drive growth, while some peers are still weighed down by a slower adoption. While the company's performance is improving, the broader sector outlook remains weighed down by concerns about AI, the analyst says. "We expect the sector-wide AI bear thesis to persist in the near term following mixed first-quarter results from peers." (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)
0550 ET - The Bank of England is less likely to raise interest rates in the coming months due to the U.K.'s weak economic growth, UBS economists say in a note. However, the risk of the BOE raising interest rates can't be ruled out, they say. A possible sharp rise in inflation due to second-round effects of high energy prices could lead the central bank to raise rates, the economists add. UBS economists expect the next BOE move will be a rate cut in 2027, rather than an interest rate rise. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)
0541 ET - Currency traders should probably stay on alert for Japanese government intervention during the nation's Golden Week break. "We recognize that the Golden Week holidays have only just begun," Japan's top currency diplomat Atsushi Mimura said earlier Friday, hinting that intervention might happen during the period from Monday through Wednesday, when Japanese markets are closed. Thin trading conditions during market closures tend to increase volatility but also make any efforts to move the currency more effective. The Japanese government likely carried out intervention as large as 5 trillion yen on Thursday, according to calculations based on Bank of Japan data and brokers' estimates. (megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 01, 2026 09:09 ET (13:09 GMT)
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