The latest Market Talks covering Equities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.

0254 GMT - Stocks in the Philippines are higher, as Iran and the U.S. agree on an interim peace deal set to be signed Friday, according to President Trump and Pakistani negotiators. The Philippine Stock Exchange index rose as much as 5.8% to 6253.19 in the morning trade. Sentiment is expected to be supported by the latest developments, says UOB research analysts. Century Pacific Food Inc. is among gainers and rises 4.7%, Jollibee Foods Corp. adds 5.4% and property developer SM Prime Holdings is 7.2% higher, while liquor company Emperador edged down 0.1% and Semirara Mining and Power Corp. is 0.95% lower.(amanda.lee@wsj.com)

0243 GMT - Goldman Sachs raises its rating on Taiwan equities to overweight as the island's tech hardwares are likely to continue delivering strong earnings growth to and beyond 2028. It also raises its forecast for Taiwan's earnings-per-share growth to 48% for 2026 and to 30% for 2027. GS notes that Taiwan has the greatest exposure to AI, at close to 85% of its market cap of listed companies. Its tech hardware supply chain benefits from a large and growing hyperscaler investment, including foundry and packaging, AI servers and others, they note. Meanwhile, Taiwan's valuations are still attractive with its price/earnings-to-growth ratio are still low, they add. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0242 GMT - Genting Plantations' proposed Johor Tech Smart City development appears positive over the long term if executed successfully, Maybank IB analyst Ong Chee Ting says in a note. The project could unlock value from its landbank within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. The 2,300-acre project is expected to feature AI-driven agriculture, a technology and innovation hub, and renewable energy infrastructure, with a projected gross development value exceeding 80 billion ringgit. The development is aimed at creating recurring income streams, he notes. Maybank maintains a buy rating on Genting Plantations, and keeps target price at 6.93 ringgit, citing attractive dividend yield of over 5%. Shares are 0.2% lower at 5.23 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0224 GMT - Asia's plantations sector is likely to benefit from the El Nino phenomenon, RHB Research analysts say in a report. An official El Nino advisory was issued by the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Association, though the strength of the phenomenon has yet to be confirmed, the analysts say, adding that it sees upside risks to its crude-palm-oil assumption of 4,400 ringgit per ton for 2026 and 4,300 ringgit per ton for 2027, especially for 2027, as CPO prices should rise after El Nino. RHB Research upgrades its rating for the plantation sector to overweight from neutral, naming Johor Plantations Group, Sarawak Oil Palms, IOI Corp., Hap Seng Plantations, London Sumatra Indonesia and SD Guthrie as its top picks. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0210 GMT - Thailand's retail sector is likely to benefit from a recent government co-payment scheme, UOB Kay Hian analysts say in a note. The "Thais Help Thais Plus: 60/40" scheme, under which the government subsidizes 60% of goods purchased from local shops while individuals pay the remaining 40%, is expected to drive higher spending on daily necessities and support economic activity among mid-to-low-income consumers. It's also expected to further support mom-and-pop shops and small and medium-sized enterprises. UOB KH has a market weight rating on Thailand's retail sector.(amanda.lee@wsj.com)

0210 GMT - Morgan Stanley says headwinds to Stockland's FY27 residential settlements are intensifying, leading it to examine what options the Australian property company has to shore up earnings. Residential demand has been dented by interest-rate rises in Australia and changes to tax incentives. Analyst Lauren A. Berry notes prior slowdowns have seen Stockland fill the earnings void with land selldowns, JV profits, and non-residential items. MS estimates Stockland has up to 1 billion Australian dollars of non-residential profits potentially coming to fruition through 2032 from three major sources, including data centers. "But we think FY27 may be too early for any major profits out of those three buckets," MS says. "If a plug were to come, it would have to be via some one-off land sales." (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

0158 GMT - Crude palm oil prices are expected to remain supported at current levels despite geopolitical risks, with further upside possible if the developing El Nino strengthens, RHB IB analyst Hoe Lee Leng says in a note. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an El Nino advisory and projected a high probability of a strong event by late 2026, she notes. Historically, strong El Nino has reduced palm oil yields and lifted CPO prices. Additional support could come from Indonesia's tighter export governance framework, which may constrain supply and raise compliance costs for exporters, she adds. RHB upgrades the Southeast Asian plantation sector's rating to overweight from neutral, pegging Johor Plantations, Sarawak Oil Palms, IOI Corp., Hap Seng Plantations, London Sumatra Indonesia and SD Guthrie as its top picks. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0146 GMT - Mr. D.I.Y. Group (M)'s cost leadership and strong brand recognition are expected to help the retailer sustain customer traffic and attractive returns despite softer consumer sentiment, CIMB Securities analyst Walter Aw Lik Hsin says. Management has guided that sales momentum remains healthy, supported by consumers trading down to value-oriented products, he says in a note. The company is on track to open about 155 new stores and refurbish around 100 outlets this year to boost sales. Its 60-day price-lock campaign could also reinforce its value proposition, he adds. CIMB maintains a buy rating on Mr. D.I.Y. and keeps target price at 2.16 ringgit. Shares are 1.3% higher at 1.60 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0126 GMT - The potential for Tourism Holdings to be acquired by a consortium led by BGH Capital has increased, says Forsyth Barr. The consortium has signaled that it is prepared to maintain the indicative offer of NZ$3.10/share despite Tourism Holdings downgrading FY26 earnings guidance late last month. Tourism Holdings has agreed to provide the consortium with due diligence access. "While we expect the board's view of intrinsic value may soften given shareholder pressure to ultimately support a deal, BGH's willingness to materially lift its current offer is debatable, despite having already increased it by 35% since the initial approach last year," analyst Andy Bowley says. Tourism Holdings is up 3.5% at NZ$2.70. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

0116 GMT - Accent's share price rises 9.2% to A$0.71 after the Australian retailer became a takeover target of Frasers Group, its largest shareholder. RBC Capital Markets says the structure of Frasers's A$0.65/share offer to acquire all shares in Accent that it doesn't own is unlikely to appeal. Accent's stock ended last week at A$0.65. "By offering a nil-premium takeover, none of the upside of any potential turnaround would be realized by shareholders," analyst Jackie Moody says. RBC thinks Frasers will need to offer a premium to get a deal done. It expects Accent to advise shareholders to reject the approach. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

0109 GMT - Sigma Healthcare's brief engagement with Boots likely yielded information valuable to its U.K. expansion plans, Citi analysts say. Having held preliminary talks over a potential acquisition of Boots, the Australian pharmacy chain operator probably has more detail on the U.K. market and its biggest player, they say. This is relevant since it recently announced plans to roll out its Chemist Warehouse brand in the U.K. The Citi analysts suggest Sigma also knows more about how investors would react to the purchase of a large incumbent player in a new market. They have an unchanged neutral rating on Sigma's stock and a target price of 3.20 Australian dollars. Shares are up 7.4% at A$2.835. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

0107 GMT - Singapore Exchange's strong trading activity is likely to be sustained for the rest of FY 2026 and into FY 2027, UOB Kay Hian analyst Roy Chen says in a report. The exchange operator posted strong trading in May, with its securities market turnover rising around 70% on year. Market liquidity and investor participation are likely to be supported by government initiatives including the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Equity Market Development Program. UOB KH has a target price of 21.70 Singapore dollars and a hold rating on the stock. Shares are 3.2% higher at S$23.30. (amanda.lee@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 14, 2026 22:54 ET (02:54 GMT)

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