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.
1217 ET - Stripe's offer to buy PayPal marks the continuation of consolidation across the payments and financial technology industry, Deutsche Bank analysts say. Several other mergers within the sector have already been announced this year, including deals between Mastercard and the stablecoin firm BVNK, and between Fidelity Information Services and TSYS. A potential sale of PayPal -- to Stripe or someone else -- could be a catalyst for more deal activity in the industry, the analysts say. The reported size of the deal also suggests there is significant interest in PayPal, despite the company's recent challenges and low trading multiple, they say. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
1207 ET - Netflix is contending with a host of investor concerns over engagement, AI-driven content disruption and competition heading into its 2Q earnings report, BofA Securities analysts say in a note. But the streaming company is no stranger to periods of skepticism. After subscriber growth slowed materially in 2022, the company responded with a series of strategic initiatives, including paid sharing and its ad-supported tier, which both helped reaccelerate growth, the analysts say. "While there are a range of potential outcomes for how Netflix's business model evolves from here, the management team has consistently demonstrated an ability to adapt to changing market conditions, execute effectively and create long-term shareholder value," they say. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)
1056 ET - U.S. technology and telecommunications sectors have come under pressure in recent weeks, causing the U.S. investment-grade credit segment to underperform high-yield credit, Societe Generale's Juan Valencia says in a note. U.S. investment-grade credit spreads have been widening at a greater pace than their high-yield peers due to weakness in the tech and telecommunications industries, he says. The two sectors could continue to face pressure in the coming weeks as companies release their earning reports, Valencia says. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)
1056 ET - Warren Buffett says he has changed his tune on Google because he sees big opportunities tied to AI. The investor, who has typically stayed away from technology companies, tells CNBC he had a hand in Berkshire Hathaway's $31 billion stake in Google's parent Alphabet. He says he "made a mistake" by not investing in the company sooner, and now thinks it is more likely to be a winner based on its record. He says he doesn't think big tech companies have any other choice right now but to spend heavily on AI to stay competitive. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)
1021 ET - Shares of European semiconductor companies pared gains and some turned negative after major chip stocks in the U.S. opened lower. Micron Technology and Sandisk, key beneficiaries of AI fervor in recent months, are down over 3% and 6%, respectively. Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and some other chip stocks in the U.S. are also down. In Europe, shares of Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker ASML Holding are almost flat. The stock had gained over 7% earlier in the session after a strong set of earnings and a guidance raise. German chip maker Infineon Technologies is down 4.9%. STMicroelectronics shares are down 1.7%. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)
0827 ET - Capital spending by large cloud service providers, referred to as hyperscalers, is considered the most likely source of a widespread credit crisis by 48% of fund managers polled in the Bank of America global fund manager survey for July. Private credit is seen as the second most likely source of a credit event, ranked by 34% of investors in the survey. The survey was conducted between July 2 and July 9. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)
0823 ET - Up to 61% of investors in the Bank of America global fund manager survey for July expect the AI-related capital expenditure boom to continue through out 2026. However, 28% of fund managers in the survey expect the giant cloud service providers, also known as hyperscalers, to cut spending in 2026. The survey was conducted between July 2 and July 9. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)
0630 ET - Despite eurozone industrial production proving resilient since the Iran conflict began, the sector remains structurally imbalanced, Jack Allen-Reynolds at Capital Economics says in a note. Industry in the 21-nation currency area has been in decline since before the pandemic, he says, noting a significant divergence between sectors. "Its performance is "K-shaped": output in high-tech and defense industries is rising whereas it is falling in most other sectors," Allen-Reynolds says. Most traditional manufacturing sectors remain in structural decline, weighed down by high energy costs and competition from China, he says. "And we doubt that any changes to EU trade policy in the near term will make a substantial difference," Allen-Reynolds says. (don.forbes@wsj.com)
0625 ET - Bloomsbury Publishing should benefit from several factors that could enable it to outperform this year, Peel Hunt's Jessica Pok and Melanie Yang write in a note. The London-listed publishing company said it remains confident in delivering adjusted profit in line with market expectations for fiscal 2027. The company looks set to gain from a stronger performance due to the publishing of two books from fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas, the positive impact on book sales generated by the launch of the Harry Potter TV series at Christmas, and further improvement in its academic division. Shares are down 4.7% at 6.14 pounds.(najat.kantouar@wsj.com)
0620 ET - Ericsson delivered a resilient second-quarter performance despite a challenging operating environment, AlphaValue analyst Utsav Sinha writes. The Swedish telecommunications company's organic sales declined 1% on year, while the adjusted gross margin improved to 48.4%. The Ebita margin remained solid at 13.1%, reflecting disciplined cost management and operational efficiency. "Ericsson's Q2 results demonstrate that profitability continues to be the company's primary strength despite limited top-line growth." Management remains optimistic about long-term growth opportunities driven by AI-enabled mobile connectivity, but expects semiconductor cost inflation and project rollouts to weigh on margins in the near term. Shares fall 0.1%. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)
0617 ET - Eurozone industry continues to show its resilience to the U.S.-Iran conflict, likely providing a modest boost to GDP in the second quarter of the year, Oxford Economics' Iain Simmons says in a note. Production overall declined 0.2% on month in May, but excluding a large 5.2% negative Irish contraction, output overall rose 0.3%, he says. However, part of the strength appears concentrated in precautionary stockbuilding--such as in chemicals, refineries and plastics--and in the Dutch semiconductor machinery industry, rather than reflecting broad-based improvements, Simmons says. "Continued disruption to the fragile ceasefire could also test this resilience," he adds. (edward.frankl@wsj.com)
0608 ET - Buying global semiconductors is considered the most crowded trade by 82% of investors in Bank of America's global fund manager survey for July. Buying the leading U.S. tech stocks of Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla--also known as the 'Magnificient Seven', is seen as the second-most crowded trade, ranked by 7% of investors in the survey. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 15, 2026 12:20 ET (16:20 GMT)
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