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.

0701 GMT - UBTech Robotics could achieve net profit in 2027 supported by significant growth in humanoid-robot revenue, CGS International analysts say in a research note. CGS International views UBTech as a compelling pure-play robotics investment with first-mover advantage and full-stack technology. Its Walker S humanoid robot series, already used by several Chinese automakers, is rapidly expanding its commercial applications, they say. The analysts expect about 400 Walker S units to be delivered in 2025, rising to around 8,000 in 2027. The brokerage initiates coverage of UBTech and with a target price of HK$151.00. Shares are last 0.6% lower at HK$92.90. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0639 GMT - SoftBank Group's $2 billion investment in Intel may boost its political standing in Washington. A stake of about 2% in the U.S. chip maker is relatively small and is unlikely to give SoftBank much influence over Intel's operations, compared with its ambitious bets on companies like OpenAI valued at tens of billions of dollars. Yet, SoftBank's Intel investment comes at a time when Trump administration officials are discussing taking a 10% stake in Intel in a bid to revive the company's fortunes. The U.S. government may welcome SoftBank's help as it mulls rescue efforts. SoftBank Group shares are down 4.0%, following their recent sharp ascent. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com; @kosakunarioka)

0233 GMT - Tencent's "Valorant Mobile" game could perform strongly upon its launch today, Citi analysts say in a research note. Judging from a solid gamer base for the game's PC version and strong pre-registrations, it is highly likely that the game would reach the iOS top 10 grossing chart in China within a few days of release, the analysts note. The game could further support Tencent's 3Q and 2H gaming revenues despite a high base of comparison, they add. Meanwhile, Tencent's games have dominated the App Store's top grossing chart in China so far this month, with evergreen titles "Honor of Kings" and "Peacekeeper Elite" ranking first and second, respectively. Citi opens a 30-day upside short-term view on Tencent. The brokerage maintains its buy call on Tencent with the target price unchanged at HK$735.00. Shares are last at HK$583.50. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0112 GMT - CelcomDigi's share price upside is likely to remain capped by uncertainties surrounding Malaysia's 5G deployment plan and sluggish mobile service revenue growth, Affin Hwang IB analyst Isaac Chow says in a note. Investor sentiment toward mobile operators is also expected to remain weighed by unresolved questions over Digital Nasional's future shareholding and business strategy, he says. At 23X its expected profit in 2026, CelcomDigi trades at a premium to peers. Affin Hwang maintains a hold rating on CelcomDigi and keeps the target price at MYR3.95. Shares are 0.5% lower at MYR3.76. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0102 GMT - CelcomDigi's earnings before interest and tax growth could slow in 2H due to higher depreciation from new network assets and rising integration costs, with IT transformation investments expected to peak in 4Q, RHB Investment Bank analyst Jeffrey Tan says in a note. Capital expenditure is also expected to be seasonally higher in 2H, he reckons. Still, core earnings are projected to grow at a solid 25% compound annual growth rate between 2025 and 2027, supported by stronger commercial execution and greater synergies from the completion of its IT stack upgrades, he adds. RHB cuts CelcomDigi's target price to MYR4.20 from MYR4.40 after its 2Q results missed slightly, while maintaining a buy rating on the stock. Shares are unchanged at MYR3.78. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

1219 GMT - Duolingo is moving beyond language learning and should see more users and greater pricing control as a result, KeyBanc analysts say. The company's chess course has already reached 1 million daily average users, while Duolingo's recent acquisition of NextBeat, a music gaming startup, should help the company grow into music education. "We are encouraged by Duolingo's ability to stand up new courses and use AI to tailor content to each learner," the analysts say. "By linking talent, AI, and distribution, we believe Duolingo is delivering more value to users, which could support conversions and create pricing power." (nicholas.miller@wsj.com)

1147 GMT - Large language models could steal users from Duolingo through cheap, AI-driven learning content. But these competitors will struggle to match Duolingo's reach, engagement and monetization, KeyBanc analysts say. Duolingo's gamification draws and retains users while self-teaching on an AI platform "lacks an engagement hook and requires more motivation," the analysts say. AI tools make building a learning platform much cheaper, but monetizing that platform with the effectiveness that Duolingo does is far more difficult. "With user acquisition costs high and in-app ad monetization often counterproductive to engagement, we believe it is difficult for new competitors to scale profitably," the analysts say. (nicholas.miller@wsj.com)

1144 GMT - Duolingo's embrace of AI provoked users' ire and damped its second-quarter growth, but the company has a strong plan to bounce back, KeyBanc analysts write. Duolingo is replacing hearts, which penalize users for mistakes, with energy, which reward correct answers. Initial results have already shown an increase in daily active users, median time spent learning well and subscriber conversion. The company is also leaning into edgy marketing content, which could help its content go viral and increase its user numbers, the analysts say. KeyBanc upgrades its rating on the stock to overweight, with a$460 price target. Shares rise 2.8% to $336.07. (nicholas.miller@wsj.com)

1142 GMT - All eyes are on Netflix's performance in the back half of the year, J.P. Morgan analysts say in a research note. The streaming giant expects faster engagement growth in the second half thanks to its strong slate of upcoming content, such as "Stranger Things," "Wednesday" and "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery." These high-profile releases should provide upside to Netflix's second-half guidance, the analysts say. Still, they note that the company's total viewing comparisons have faced pressure from paid-account sharing, content delays stemming from strikes and its back-half weighted slate. At the same time, "Netflix's ad business is still catching up to its user scale," the analysts say. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

1009 GMT - Lenovo Group's solid fiscal 1Q results should help offset tariff uncertainty, S&P Global Ratings analysts say in a note. The company benefited i the quarter from corporate purchases ahead of the end-of-life deadline for Windows 10 later this year, rather than from individual consumers amid a subdued macroeconomic environment, they say. Global PC shipment growth could slow in 2H 2025 with annual growth likely around 2%-3%, they add. Demand accelerated ahead of tariffs in the U.S. but is unlikely to persist in 2H, they add. S&P maintains its forecast for Lenovo to deliver single-digit profit growth in fiscal 2026. Shares last closed 3.05% higher at HK$11.15. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

1001 GMT - MTN Group delivered outstanding results for the first half, but still needs to fix its South Africa business, Bank of America analysts say in a research note. The South African telecommunications group's operations in Ghana and Nigeria are firing on all cylinders, and turning around its performance in South Africa should be next, the analysts say. The group named a new South Africa CEO and there is a clear plan to fix the business, according to Bank of America. Among the priorities of new MTN South Africa CEO Ferdi Moolman are improving the commercial performance of both the prepaid and postpaid segments, simplifying its IT systems and real-estate footprint as well as restructuring its balance sheet, the analysts say. Shares fall 6%. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

0933 GMT - Foxconn Technology Group's AI server business could continue to accelerate through 2025, Barclays analysts say in a research note. AI server revenue could exceed $15 billion in 3Q, lifting quarterly cloud and networking segment revenue by 80% on year, they say. For 2025, Barclays expects the segment's revenue to grow more than 70% and overtake consumer electronics as Foxconn's largest revenue contributor. Barclays also notes Foxconn's push into other high-growth and emerging tech areas, including humanoid robots and EV manufacturing. Barclays maintains an overweight rating on Foxconn's ADR and raises its target price to $20.00 from $14.00. Its ADRs last ended at $13.88. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 19, 2025 04:20 ET (08:20 GMT)

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