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

1119 ET - Europe's blue-chip stock index is on track to break a seven-day losing streak, its longest run without a positive day run since September 2023. The string of losing days comes as higher oil prices and borrowing costs weighed on investor sentiment. Despite the extended run, the index has only lost 0.9% over the period amid small August trading volumes. Miners and consumer-facing stocks have buoyed the index Friday, with gold and silver miner Hochschild Mining--up 6.4%--and JD Sports Fashion--up 6%--among top performers. The Stoxx 600 rises 0.6%, and is up 10% for the year. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

1048 ET - Copper prices hold above $14,000 a metric ton after edging lower in recent days. The decline was partly driven by a sharp increase in copper stocks held in LME warehouses: total copper inventories climbed by 34,000 tons from last Friday to nearly 240,000 tons, according to Commerzbank. The rise in stocks provides some short-term relief for the well-supplied global market. However, China's copper production showed signs of weakening. Output fell 3.7% in July from the previous month and was only 1.3% higher than a year earlier. "A significant slowdown in China's copper production could lead to a shortage in the global copper market, which has so far remained well-supplied," analysts at the bank say. LME copper futures are up 0.9% to $14,172.50 a ton. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

1036 ET - Bitcoin has gained nearly 25% this week, but may have finally encountered a price point that's too high in the short-term at $80,000. Bitcoin spiked at $79,258 overnight, and has since retreated to around $77,000. It's a new near-term resistance level, serving as both a psychological and technical resistance point, says Lacie Zhang of Bitget Wallet. "A clean daily or weekly close above $80,000 would likely shift attention to the $82,000 to $84,000 supply area next," says Zhang. If bitcoin retreats back toward $70,000, that "would suggest this was more of a fast positioning squeeze than the start of a durable new leg." Bitcoin is up 5.5% to $76,685, according to LSEG data. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)

1017 ET - U.S. Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded products saw net sales of $608 million and $184 million, respectively, on Thursday, J.P. Morgan analysts estimate, as crypto investors jump on positive signals from U.S. regulators and a weaker dollar. These flows were an acceleration from already-strong flows on Wednesday, they write. Flows were concentrated in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF, which saw inflows of $504 million, they say. Funds managed by Fidelity and Bitwise also saw significant inflows. Trading volumes totaled $5.405 billion Thursday, well ahead of the running daily average of $3.22 billion, they say. Bitcoin rises 5.4% to $76,965.03, while Ether--the token of blockchain network Ethereum--adds 2.3% to trade at $2,379.82. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

0942 ET - Bitcoin ETFs have had a net inflow exceeding over $1 billion in the past two days, according to data from CoinGlass. With a net inflow of $606.3 million on Thursday, it's now $1.61 billion in net inflows reported over the past four days. This week has seen a resurgent appetite in cryptocurrencies, thanks to more attention coming from the Trump Administration and actions from the Treasury Department resurrecting the "dollar debasement" trade. It's a change from the trading that has dominated the crypto space all summer. "The current Bitcoin bear market is getting a little long in the tooth," says Zach Pandl of Grayscale Research in a note. Bitcoin spiked over $79,000 overnight, and was recently up 5.8% to $76,865. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)

0939 ET - Bitcoin's rally is being fueled by rapid inflows and increased speculation, XS.com's Simon-Peter Massabni says. Spot bitcoin funds are on track for their strongest week of inflows since last October, adding over $1.6 billion, the analyst writes, quoting cryptocurrency tracker SoSo Value data. At the same time, open positions in bitcoin futures reached $54 billion, up by $10 billion from lows in late June according to CoinGlass, Massabni says. The inflows coincided with short-position liquidations, totaling over $1.6 billion between Thursday and Friday, the analyst says. Bitcoin rises 5.1% to $76,692.83. (michael.hennessey@wsj.com)

0936 ET - Roots has agreed to go private in a buyout deal that TD Cowen analyst Brian Morrison calls the best offer the apparel retailer is likely to receive. Roots, a household brand in Canada, has agreed to be acquired by a consortium led by Marquee Brands and JM&A Design & Development for C$4.10 a share. This represents a 36% premium to its price right before Roots announced a strategic review in March. Morrison says that given that the company has undertaken "what we view as a full auction process," and the current proposal has the backing of its board, among other support, "we see a high probability of the transaction closing as proposed" in 4Q. The analyst downgrades the stock rating to sell from hold as a result. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)

0933 ET - BJ's Wholesale Club posts comparable-club sales growth of 3.1% in 2Q, excluding gasoline sales. "The comp was driven by a healthy balance of traffic and ticket, and we delivered for our members when it mattered most, including during events like the World Cup and America 250," CEO Bob Eddy says on a call with analysts Friday. BJ's perishables, groceries and sundries division notches comparable-sales growth of 2.8%, led by grocery, with Eddy noting particular strength in beverages and active nutrition. Meanwhile, the company's general merchandise and services division reports comp growth of 5.3%, led by consumer electronics and homegoods. Shares climb 2.7%. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

0918 ET - BJ's Wholesale Club CEO Bob Eddy says the K-shaped economy persists, though he notes some sequential improvement during the recent quarter. "We drove comp growth across all income cohorts, which is encouraging, and our value proposition continues to resonate broadly," he says on a call with analysts. "That said, the vast majority of our growth continues to be driven by our higher income members, which is consistent with what we've seen for some time now." Eddy says BJ's job is to make sure it has the right products at the right value for every member, given consumers remain discerning with their dollars. Shares climb 1.7% premarket. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

0912 ET - Bitcoin surges to a three-month high of $79,455 and could be well on the road to further gains, deVere Group CEO Nigel Green says in a note. "The asset had not traded above $70,000 since late May, and it's now cleared that level with real conviction behind it rather than a thin, low-volume bounce," he says. "Investors who spent this year waiting for a cleaner entry point could be watching one unfold in front of them right now." Analysts cite a jump in institutional spot demand and U.S. regulatory momentum as President Trump urges passage of the Clarity Act. "If [the Clarity Act] clears Congress, that removes years of regulatory uncertainty in one move," Green says. (jessica.fleetham@wsj.com)

0910 ET - Bitcoin finding its highest levels since May is reshaping how investors are evaluating overall markets. "This year's quiet patch in crypto never reflected a loss of belief in the asset class," says Nigel Green of deVere Group in a note. "It reflected liquidity being pulled elsewhere, into an overheated AI and semiconductor trade." The timing of this while bitcoin has been stuck in rangebound trade all summer is creating the explosive movement, Green adds. "Every one of those pressures is now easing at the same time, and Bitcoin is repricing accordingly." Bitcoin is up 6.2% to $77,194, according to LSEG data. Ethereum rises 2.9% to $2,385, XRP is up 10.8% to $1.37, and solana is up 3.7% to $90.76. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)

0905 ET - BJ's Wholesale Club is winning over customers at the gas pump, as prices remain elevated across the country. The warehouse club chain says comp gallons were up double digits during the latest quarter, marking an acceleration from 1Q and serving as "a clear signal of the share we continue to take," CEO Bob Eddy says on a call with analysts. "Gas prices are about as visible as it gets for consumers," he says. "There's a price on every street corner, and our members know that we offer great value." Eddy says that strong volume growth, coupled with a favorable pullback from peak gas prices, drove fuel profit dollars ahead of expectations and meaningfully contributed to the company's overall results. Shares climb 1.5% premarket.