The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
1300 ET - Tesla's stock price doesn't really depend on is auto deliveries anymore, but on the narrative around the company's AI ventures like its robotaxi and Optimus businesses, UBS analysts say in a note. There have also been more questions on Tesla's Terafab project and solar business lately, the analysts say. "The amount of investor conversations we have about the traditional auto business and business fundamentals is very low," the analysts say. Investors have been saying recently that Robotaxi and Optimus updates are slower and more muted than expected, they add. Still, while sentiment will continue to drive the stock, Tesla's auto business is what primarily helps fund its cash flow and, in turn, its investments for growth, the analysts say. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)
1223 ET - Nike has likely had lackluster global sales momentum so far this month, UBS analysts say in a note, citing their channel checks. As a result, the analysts expect Nike's guidance for the current quarter will miss Wall Street's expectations, while its fiscal third-quarter earnings will come in line with estimates, they say. "Importantly, we don't anticipate Nike's 4Q outlook to signal a meaningful q/q improvement for its sales growth trend," the analysts say. The company is expected to report fiscal 3Q earnings on March 31. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)
1148 ET - Gold prices extend losses, plunging 6% as high energy costs stemming from the war in the Middle East fuel market concerns over inflation. In mid-morning U.S. trading, futures in New York are at $4,604 a troy ounce. "Gold's weakness since the start of the conflict is not unexpected, and history suggests it can rebound quickly after shocks," Morgan Stanley analysts say. "However, if we see more persistent inflation that drives rate hikes, the set-up may be more challenging." Meanwhile, silver dives 10.5% to $69.42 an ounce, and platinum is down 6.2% to $1,929.20 an ounce. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)
1058 ET - Pentagon staffers tell Reuters they are hesitant to stop using Anthropic's AI tools, despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's designation of the company as a supply-chain risk. The military users see Anthropic's tools as better and more reliable than alternatives and sources tell Reuters that Anthropic's Claude remains in use by the military. The process of switching to alternatives could be time-consuming and costly. Some staff are slow-walking the replacement of Claude because they are still actively using it to create series of automated tasks and are betting on the Pentagon at some point reinstating use of Anthropic's tools, Reuters reports. (nicholas.miller@wsj.com)
1023 ET - The typical U.S. home that went under contract in February spent 66 days on the market, the slowest winter pace in 10 years and up from 58 days a year earlier, Redfin says. Homebuyers are taking their time as spring approaches, which is usually the busiest season for the housing market. But the war in Iran, skyrocketing gas prices and other economic jitters are making homebuyers nervous, Redfin says, adding that it's a buyer's market, with sellers outnumbering buyers by more than 40%. It means the buyers who are in the market have negotiating power and can afford to take their time. The typical homebuyer in February paid 1.8% less than the final list price, the largest discount for this time of year since 2023. The median home sale price was $429,259, up 0.9% from a year earlier, Redfin says. (chris.wack@wsj.com)
1008 ET - The typical homebuyer would save $150 per month taking out an adjustable-rate mortgage instead of a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, according to Redfin. That's a 5.8% discount, the biggest ARM users have had since June 2022 in both dollar and percentage terms. That's because the average homebuyer using an ARM so far in March took on a 5.51% rate, while the average buyer taking out a fixed mortgage had a 6.19% rate. The ARM is 0.68 basis points lower, the biggest gap since June 2022. The typical monthly payment for a homebuyer using an ARM is $2,578, versus $2,727 for someone using a fixed rate. Mortgage rates are lower than they were a year ago, but rates for ARMs have declined more: Today's average rate for an ARM, 5.51%, while the average 30-year fixed rate is now 6.19%. (chris.wack@wsj.com)
1000 ET - Mortgage rates are bouncing back up and home-sale prices are rising, Redfin says. The weekly average mortgage rate rose to 6.11% last week, the highest level since the start of 2026, as inflation jitters and the war in Iran rattled markets. The daily average mortgage rate jumped higher, to a six-month peak of 6.41% on Friday, and has since dropped slightly to 6.31%, Redfin says. The median U.S. home-sale price was $387,000 during the four weeks ending March 15, up 1.3% year-over-year, according to Redfin. The median monthly payment is $2,649, which is down 2.7% year over year but the highest it has been in nine months, Redfin says. New listings are up 1.2%, the second straight week of increases after four months of declines. (chris.wack@wsj.com)
0948 ET - Premium Brands Holdings' sale of its Shaw Bakers assets offsets an otherwise "subpar" 4Q, says Scotiabank's John Zamparo in a note. The analyst says Premium Brands sold its interest in Shaw Bakers for $114 million, a move he says was widely expected and "will be received positively by the Street." Zamparo estimates the divested unit contributed roughly C$20 million of Ebitda. He says the transaction "increases the probability of a larger divestiture later this year," a potential catalyst for the stock. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
0808 ET - Premium Brands Holdings' customers are trading down to lower-value products as the cost of its inputs, like beef and pork, continues to rise. The company says that beef has seen the highest price increase, but the prices of poultry, pork and lobster have also risen and been passed down to consumers where possible. However, the response has been a choosier consumer. Premium Brands says its sales mix has changed as certain customers have shifted their buying to lower-value products in response to the higher costs. This has dragged on margins and profitability. The company says it is seeing beef prices stabilizing in the new fiscal year, but the trajectory is still "moderately inflationary." (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
0753 ET - Bitcoin falls to its lowest level in a week as tensions in the Middle East escalate, causing oil prices to rise. Attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf strengthen fears of supply disruptions and this weighs on risky assets. Meanwhile, investors continue to sell bitcoin after it hit a six-week high of $75,984 on Tuesday, LSEG data show. Charts show the crypto currency faces resistance at $76,000, while the recent drop below $71,000 means it could fall further towards $60,000, says Trade Nation's David Morrison. Bitcoin last trades down 1.7% at $70,030, having hit a low of $69,514. (jessica.fleetham@wsj.com)
0748 ET - Canadian specialty food manufacturer Premium Brands Holdings says in 4Q it faced a "volatile environment with record high beef costs, broader commodity inflation, and a challenging consumer backdrop." Beef prices remained stubbornly high throughout last year, with poultry and pork also rising, though to a lesser extent. The company has raised prices across its portfolio, helping drive revenue growth in its specialty foods segment. And while it says beef markets are beginning to stabilize, consumers have already shifted toward lower-value products, adding further pressure on margins. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)
0728 ET - Airbus hasn't detected any impact on demand or supply from the conflict in the Middle East so far, Citi's Charles Armitage writes in a research note after attending a dinner with the European plane maker's CFO. The company has some Middle East suppliers that are still delivering their products, Armitage says. While high fuel prices are negative for airline profitability, he says rising costs remind carriers of the need to replace old aircraft with new, more fuel-efficient versions. Airbus shares trade 3.6% lower at 164.22 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 13:01 ET (17:01 GMT)
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