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

2012 ET - Japanese stocks are higher in early trade following a U.S. tech stock rally overnight. Electronics and metals stocks are leading the gains. Keyence is up 4.1% and Fujikura is 5.1% higher. The dollar is at 161.94 yen, compared with Y161.84 as of Monday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are closely watching U.S.-Iran peace talks and any comments on the yen's recent decline by Japanese government officials. The Nikkei Stock Average is up 1.4% at 70448.33. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com; @kosakunarioka)

1956 ET - The almost certain withdrawal of the CSL-marketed Tavneos therapy in Europe only adds to Macquarie's caution toward the Australian biotechnology company. An analyst at the investment bank tells clients in a note that a European Commission ruling on the treatment appears to be a formality, and trims EPS forecasts by 3% for fiscal 2027 and by 4% for fiscal 2028. The analyst reiterates a neutral rating on the stock and reminds readers of the significant near-term earnings uncertainty across CSL's core business segments, plus ongoing medium-term competitive risks. Target price rises 2.7% to 114.00 Australian dollars, reflecting currency moves. Shares are at A$115.39 ahead of the open. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

1945 ET - Japanese stocks may rise following a rally in U.S. tech shares overnight. Nikkei futures are up 1.2% at 70520 on the SGX. The dollar is at 161.92 yen, compared with Y161.84 as of Monday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are focusing on U.S.-Iran peace talks and any comments on the yen's recent depreciation by Japanese government officials. The Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.2% to 69468.11 on Monday. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com)

Macquarie upgrades its earnings view for Neuren Pharmaceuticals after a key European regulator changed its mind on the registration of the trofinetide treatment for Rett Syndrome. Its EPS forecasts rise by 5% in each of FY27 and FY28. That's driven by an expected US$35 million milestone payment in 2H of 2026 for the product, to be known in the EU as DAYBU, along with favorable currency movements. "We expect an initial launch in Germany, where DAYBU will be able to be sold in a free pricing environment for six months, and other key EU countries, such as France and Italy, to follow," Macquarie says. The U.K. typically has weaker pricing and involves a separate regulatory process, it adds. Macquarie expects the Germany launch by 4Q26. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

1821 ET - Australian stocks could be set to edge higher at the open, adding to their week-opening gains ahead of the release of minutes from the central bank's most recent rate-setting meeting. ASX futures are up by less than 0.1% ahead of Tuesday's session, suggesting that the S&P/ASX 200 will build on Monday's 0.7% gain. The benchmark index is up by almost 1% for June and on course for its third consecutive monthly rise. Traders are waiting on the Reserve Bank minutes, which will outline board members' thoughts when they paused their run of interest-rate rises earlier this month. Some economists think the bank will raise the cash rate once more in 2026, while others think it has topped out at its current 4.35%. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

1606 ET - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq snap five-day losing streaks and the Dow Industrials jump to a record high as deal activity returns to start the week. Comcast announces plans to spin off NBCUniversal and Sky into a separate publicly traded company, Rocket Lab agrees to buy satellite operator Iridium Communications in an $8 billion cash-and-stock deal, while Martin Marietta Materials agrees to buy Lhoist North America for $13.5 billion. Last week's technology selloff loses momentum, while the expected resumption of peace talks lifts sentiment. DJIA gains 306 points, or 0.6%, to 52182, the S&P 500 rises 1.2% to 7440 and the Nasdaq climbs 2.1% to 25820. (patrick.sullivan@wsj.com)

1424 ET - RBC Capital Markets bumps up its target for BlackBerry's shares but views the risk-reward as less attractive in light of the sharp rally the stock has seen. The Canadian tech company reported its largest earnings beat in the last year for 1Q, thanks to what RBC's Paul Treiber says was solid development seat license sales at its QNX unit and perpetual license revenue at its Secure Communications business. "While quarters may be lumpy due to one-time revenue, BlackBerry is moving into a period of headline growth following a period of transformation." RBC's target rises to $9 from $4.50 but it maintains a sector perform call. BlackBerry jumps 9%. (robb.stewart@wsj.com)

1410 ET - The recent drop in oil prices will likely provide a boost that hasn't been accounted for in apparel and footwear companies' forecasts, according to Baird in a note. Analysts Jonathan Komp and Alexander Conway say that considering WTI crude was about $95-$110/barrel in late April/early May, they think current prices are well below the levels embedded in most guides. They believe such sizable declines typically boost consumer confidence. This should support upside for apparel and footwear stocks, especially given those companies have pointed to resilient and healthy consumer demand lately as well as solid full-price selling trends, the analysts say. "We see potential for higher consumer sentiment and group valuations ahead," they say, noting particularly good setups for Dick's Sporting Goods, Crocs and Adidas. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

1344 ET - Major cryptocurrencies are edging higher as bitcoin pushes back above the $60k mark. Focus among crypto investors is squarely on next steps for Michael Saylor's bitcoin-accumulation methods--with the bitcoin downturn enough to put Strategy Inc.'s bitcoin treasury underwater by roughly $10B to $15B. Today, Strategy announced that it might sell bitcoin to raise up to $1.25B in cash to help bolster its ability to pay dividends on its preferred-stock STRC. With that and $2.55B in cash, Saylor says Strategy can cover its STRC dividends for nearly 26 months. Strategy currently holds 847,363 BTC, worth over $50B. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)

1330 ET - Quantum computing provider Quantinuum stands to benefit as quantum computing adoption grows, Mizuho says in a note, initiating coverage with a $90 price target and an outperform rating. Analyst Vijay Rakesh estimates the quantum computing industry to grow from about a $1.1 billion a year run-rate in 2025 to approximately $15 billion in 2030 and $205 billion in 2035. Rakesh expects Quantinuum's 2031 revenue to be about $4.7 billion, growing at a near 131% CAGR from 2025-2031. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)

1229 ET - Quantinuum is well-positioned to capture the long-term opportunities of quantum computing, but risks and uncertainties remain around the technology, Morgan Stanley analysts write in a note, initiating coverage with an equal-weight rating and a $78 price target. "While we see substantial long-term optionality if quantum computing reaches broad commercial adoption, we believe the current valuation appropriately reflects both the opportunity and the considerable risks that remain," they write. The company's trapped-ion architecture and technical execution has been validated by third parties and suggests a "credible path to fault tolerance," they write, referring to the ability of quantum computers to avoid or correct for errors that emerge through the computing process. Quantinuum shares fall 2.6%. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)

1219 ET - Martin Marietta Materials' acquisition of limestone supplier Lhoist North America may seem like a departure from the company's aggregates business, but it makes sense given commercial and operational similarities between that and the lime business, Raymond James analysts write in a note. "The lime market requires hard- to-replicate high-calcium (geologically different) limestone reserves, is a quarry-based blasting and crushing operation, enjoys a highly consolidated market structure, and is incredibly high necessity (and low value) to the markets it serves," they write, adding that the company's estimate of $85 million in annual cost synergies could be conservative. "We believe that market will come to appreciate the quality of the assets in time." Shares in Martin Marietta fall 6.5%. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 29, 2026 20:12 ET (00:12 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.