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

0352 GMT - Samsung Electronics could benefit from increasing production of its high-end DRAM product, high-bandwidth memory 4, in 2027, Citigroup's Peter Lee and Jayden Oh say. The analysts expect prices for Samsung's HBM4 12hi product--the most advanced HBM4 variant with 12 DRAM dies stacked vertically--to surge 100%-150% to $4-$5 per gigabit in 2027. "Looking ahead, we expect SEC's market leadership to strengthen further as HBM4 ramps up, supported by its leading production capacity and technology," they write in a note. Citi views Samsung's 3Q preliminary earnings as solid, despite unfavorable foreign-exchange headwinds and additional bonus costs.(kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)

0345 GMT - Malaysia's consumer sector could remain supported by targeted fiscal measures that should continue to channel spending towards essential consumption, Kenanga IB analyst Thin Yun Jing says in a note. Household spending is expected to remain supported by government cash aid, although rising labor, electricity and other costs could pressure companies' profits, she says. A potential minimum wage increase may provide some offset through higher household incomes, while a possible interest-rate hike in 1Q 2027 could weigh on discretionary spending, she reckons. Kenanga maintains an overweight rating on the Malaysian consumer sector, favoring companies with resilient demand, manageable costs and better earnings prospects. It pegs QL Resources as top pick. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0314 GMT - The recent decline in Malaysian banking stocks is likely a buying opportunity for investors, says CGS International analyst Winson Ng in a note. Bad loans could rise due to credit risks from elevated oil prices, he says, and forecasts the gross impaired loan ratio to rise toward 1.5% by end-2026 from around 1.44% in end-August. Banks' net interest margins may also be supported in the longer term by higher yields from new fixed-income investments, he adds. CGS maintains an overweight rating on the sector, supported by attractive dividend yields, and pegs Malayan Banking, RHB Bank and Public Bank as top picks. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0251 GMT - The Singapore dollar consolidates against its U.S. counterpart in the Asian session, but may be weighed by higher oil prices, which are typically negative for currencies of net energy-importing countries. "Firmer oil prices reignited concerns over inflation and the higher-for-longer [U.S.] interest rate outlook," UOB economists say in a report. There are "growing expectations that the Fed may need to keep interest rates elevated for longer," they add. The U.S. dollar is little changed at 1.2797 Singapore dollars, LSEG data show.(ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0241 GMT - Japfa Comfeed Indonesia expects its processed chicken business to grow further, say UOB Kay Hian analysts in a report. It plans to increase downstream processing to 40% of chicken output by 2030 from around 15% currently, they note. The Indonesian agri-food company also expects to continue gaining market share, while accelerating new product launches, with around 10 new products this year and plans to double this to around 20 in 2027. The brokerage maintains the stock's buy rating, but lowers the target price to 2,900.00 rupiah from 3,330.00 rupiah to reflect higher earnings volatility from cost pressures. Shares are 1.5% higher at 2,070.00 rupiah. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0238 GMT - TSMC could deliver over 40% revenue growth into 2027 amid robust AI compute demand, potential upside from agentic AI and the emergence of a co-packaged optics networking cycle, Citi analysts say in a research note. TSMC's AI revenue growth could nearly double next year given most of its AI chip customers, including Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom, are expecting accelerating growth, they say. As a result, Citi expects continuing consensus earnings upgrades for the chip maker. TSMC's capex could further rise to US$81 billion and US$90 billion in 2027 and 2028, respectively, supported by strong its revenue outlook, they note. Citi maintains its buy rating on TSMC and raises its target price for TSMC to NT$4,000 from NT$3,800. Shares are at NT$2,560.00. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0225 GMT - Malaysia's coming Budget 2027 is unlikely to provide a significant boost to the domestic construction sector, CIMB Securities analysts Kenny Mak Hoy Ken and Wei Yi Tan say in a note. Development spending is projected to rise 3.8% to 83 billion ringgit in 2027, with most spending likely spread across smaller and mid-sized projects, they say. The focus is expected to remain on reducing regional development gaps, particularly in East Malaysia and interior areas. Project awards and execution will be more important than headline allocations, while higher energy and logistics costs could pressure contractors' margins from 4Q. CIMB maintains a neutral rating on the Malaysian construction sector, and favors Gamuda and IJM. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0116 GMT - The recent pullback in crude palm oil and share prices could be an opportunity for investors to buy on weakness, RHB IB analyst Hoe Lee Leng and team say in a note. CPO prices are expected to remain rangebound in the short term amid peak production and high inventories, before rising in 1H 2027 as El Nino weighs on output and stocks decline, they say. Demand could also improve following India's lower import duties on palm oil, while Indonesia's potential increase in its biodiesel mandate could further tighten global supply, they say. Regulatory uncertainty from Indonesia's new agrarian reform law remains a risk, with potential land redistribution weighing on production, they add. RHB maintains an overweight rating on Southeast Asian plantation sector, focusing on Malaysia-centric players and those with less exposure to Indonesia. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0108 GMT - IHH Healthcare's recent share price weakness likely offers an attractive entry point, with earnings growth seen supported by more complex treatments, hospital expansions and Fortis-Gleneagles synergies, says Maybank IB analyst Nur Natasha Ariza in a note. Its focus on higher-value treatments and day-care services should also support growth beyond bed additions, she says. IHH's core net profit is expected to grow 18% annually over 2025-2028, faster than its 11% annual growth over 2016-2025, she reckons. Legal developments in its India operations provide little basis to revise earnings forecasts, in the analyst's view. Maybank maintains a buy rating on IHH and keeps its target price at 11.20 ringgit. Shares are unchanged at 7.90 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0049 GMT - Ramelius Resources' miss on 1Q gold output expectations is weighing on its stock. But Ord Minnett says investors may look through the quarter and focus on more positive news flow, such as its four-year outlook and completed sale of the Edna May mine. Ramelius's stock is down 1.7% at 3.675 Australian dollars, broadly in line with stock movements of other Australian gold miners. Ramelius reported 1Q production of 48,839 oz of gold versus Ord Minnett's expectation of 55,200 oz. "The delta in production was driven by wet weather impacting haulage from the Penny mine to the Mt Magnet mill, which resulted in a stockpile build of 4,300 oz of contained gold at the Penny mine," analyst Paul Kaner says. Ord Minnett had a buy call and an A$4.55 target price on Ramelius ahead of today's update. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

0046 GMT - CapitaLand Ascott Trust's sizeable divestment gains worth 300 million Singapore dollars could offset the drag on its distribution per unit from ongoing asset enhancement initiatives, says UOB Kay Hian's Jonathan Koh in a note. He expects the Singapore real-estate investment trust to deliver stable DPU of 6.1 Singapore cents in both 2026 and 2027 thanks to these top-ups. However, he trims his 2028 DPU projection by 5% on higher debt cost and the recent weakness of the euro and Australian dollar against the Singapore dollar. The trust likely has a 7.3% DPU yield in 2027, as its unit price has fallen 13% year-to-date, he adds. UOB KH cuts its target price to S$0.99 from S$1.03 but maintains a buy rating. Units last closed at S$0.83. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0045 GMT - Anta Sports investors may be underappreciating the positive potential impact of acquiring Puma China's retail and distribution business, says Citi analyst Xiaopo Wei in a note. Anta's retail expertise in China could allow the business to expand quickly, with potential for Anta to consolidate Puma China's likely profitable retail and distribution operations. In the short term, Puma's attributable loss is expected to reduce Anta's 2026 net profit by around 2%, but Citi expects minimal earnings impact in 2027 as Puma becomes slightly profitable. Citi maintains its buy rating with a target price of 108.80 Hong Kong dollars. Shares closed nearly flat at HK$71.35.