The latest Market Talks covering Energy and Utilities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

1503 ET - Oil futures edge up in cautious trading as the market weighs conflicting reports of how much oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz. "Extraordinary workarounds are compensating for a badly impaired shipping route," Siebert Financial's chief investment officer Mark Malek says in a note. "Alternative oil routes demonstrate impressive resilience, but resilience is not the same as excess capacity." Tanker relays and pipelines can buy time but don't replace unrestricted access through the strait, he says. U.S. government figures suggest considerably more oil is escaping the region than vessel-tracking data would seem to indicate, Malek adds. "When the official number and the observable number disagree by this much, the observable number usually wins the argument eventually." WTI settles up 0.5% at $84.94 a barrel and Brent rises 0.2% to $91.02. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)

1205 ET - Mattr is benefiting from the surge in demand for data centers and utilities, which drove backlogs to near-record highs. According to RBC's Sabahat Khan, the company is "well positioned for H2" as data center sales expand into a "growing contributor," expected to more than double in 2026 to about 5% of consolidated revenue. The momentum drove 2Q revenue up 23.4% year-over-year to meet preliminary guidance, alongside a 260 basis-point expansion in adjusted Ebitda margin to 15.8%. Growth was anchored by record output levels at Xerxes, where customer planning horizons now extend to "firm orders for delivery throughout 2027," as well as a 29.1% revenue jump in Connection Technologies. RBC raised its target price by C$9 to C$22. Shares are down 2.5% to C$18.98. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)

1147 ET - Oil futures extend gains after President Trump says there are no talks occurring or scheduled with Iran, and that the Strait of Hormuz is open and operating. "There's no talks happening and that's all that the market heard," says NinjaTrader Group senior economist Tracy Shuchart. While workarounds have helped keep oil prices from soaring, the stress is showing up in products with Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries adding to the problem, she adds. Crude market volatility has eased, but "I think we're higher-for-longer oil and seem to be rotating Brent around $90 and WTI around $85, which is still $20 to $25 higher than last year," Shuchart adds. WTI is up 1.2% at $85.49 a barrel and Brent is 0.9% higher at $91.71. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)

1057 ET - Stocks in Abu Dhabi extend gains from the previous session, while Qatar stocks continue to fall, with their benchmark indices rising 0.2% and falling 0.5%, respectively. Abu Dhabi's relative strength looks constructive, supported by resilient earnings and its banking and telecom sectors, says Mazen Abou Ismail, head of trading desk at FFA Private Bank Dubai. Qatar remains more vulnerable given its exposure to regional energy and LNG-related risks, helping explain the continued weakness, he says. Geopolitics remains the main driver of GCC sentiment, but differences in fundamentals, valuations and liquidity are increasingly driving relative performance across markets, Abou Ismail says. (farhan.rafid@wsj.com)

0940 ET - Fading hopes for an agreement anytime soon to resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict keep oil futures buoyant with both sides claiming to have control of the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping disruption remains a concern for crude oil and product supply, with the drawdown in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest level since the early 1980s compounding the unease, Kaynat Chainwala of Kotak Neo says in a note. "Prices stay hostage to Hormuz transit data and any signal from the Iran-Oman channel. A durable reopening would cap upside, while further escalation points toward a retest of the $95 to $100/barrel band for Brent." Brent is up 0.2% at $91.09 a barrel. WTI is 0.9%higher at $85.27.(anthony.harrup@wsj.com)

0533 ET - British energy company BP could resume buybacks in 2027 as it cuts debt and shores up its balance sheet, Berenberg analysts write. The company will retain its focus on paying down net debt via disposals, they say. The analysts expect more than $6 billion in additional disposal proceeds in 2027, which could give it cash for buybacks, they say. Under current oil and gas price assumptions, Berenberg expects $500 million in quarterly buybacks from the second quarter of 2027, the analysts say. This would deliver a full-year buyback of $1.5 billion for 2027. Shares rise 1.7% to 528.30 pence. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0349 ET - Equinor's deal to acquire 87.7% of the Lackawanna gas-fired power plant in Pennsylvania for $940 million increases the company's exposure to the rapidly growing U.S. electricity market, SB1 Markets analyst Teodor Sveen-Nilsen writes. The deal strengthens Equinor's integrated power strategy by combining power generation with its own significant gas operations in the Appalachian Mountains, he says. The market is supported by rising demand from electrification, data centers and industrial operations, he adds. "We view the acquisition of Lackawanna as neutral to positive, but believe that the Equinor share is fully valued unless a long-term oil price of $85-$90 per barrel is assumed." The bank reiterates its neutral rating on the stock with a 365 Norwegian kroner target price. Shares rise 1.6% to 394.20 kroner. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)

0232 ET - Artificial-intelligence data centers are expected to move closer to adopting 800V direct-current power systems as demand for more powerful AI chips continues to rise, according to a Digitimes Research report. Although Nvidia isn't expected to introduce major power-related changes in 2026, power semiconductor suppliers are already rolling out products designed for future AI server platforms. Digitimes analyst Chiayang Yao says the transition is likely to accelerate with the mass production of Nvidia's Rubin Ultra GPUs in 2027. The report also highlights growing demand for next-generation power technologies that can boost energy efficiency and support higher computing workloads. As 800V systems become more standardized, competition is expected to center on cost, efficiency, power density and supply reliability, Yao says. (jie.yang@wsj.com)

0049 ET - Towngas Smart Energy is likely to continue to face headwinds from its renewable-energy business, Citi analyst Pierre Lau says in a note, pointing to its 1H results missing expectations. The bank is skeptical on the company's assumption that 2H tariff cuts will be lower, and the negative effect of the tariff cut will be offset by reduced new-project development costs. Citi cuts the target price to 3.40 Hong Kong dollars from HK$3.80, while keeping its rating unchanged. Shares are up 4.1% at HK$3.28. (venkat.pr@wsj.com)

2038 ET - For Jarden, Amplitude Energy's FY 2027 guidance was the main focus of its annual result. Amplitude signaled output of 26.6-28.5 petajoules equivalent, in line with consensus hopes at the midpoint. It reflects strong operational performance at the Orbost facility. FY 2027 capex guidance of A$250 million-A$310 million beat Jarden's estimates. Analyst Nik Burns says this is largely a timing issue. "But we estimate East Coast Supply Project total costs are now at or above the top end of the prior range," Jarden says. The next key catalyst will likely be the Juliet exploration well result, Jarden says. That well is about to be drilled. "We carry no value for this well in our valuation but could potentially add A$0.34/share upside in the success case," Jarden says. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

1656 ET - Expand Energy's recently announced $1.25 billion acquisition of natural-gas supplier Twin Eagle from private-equity firm Five Point Infrastructure will increase the publicly traded energy company's access to critical assets without substantial capital outlays, says Gabriele Sorbara, a senior equity analyst at financial-services firm Siebert Williams Shank. Sorbara points to Twin Eagle's contractual rights to use third-party pipelines and storage tanks. "They're not really acquiring many assets from Twin Eagle," he says of Houston-based Expand Energy. "But it has improved their margins." He compares the approach with that of larger natural-gas producers such as EQT Corp., which about two years ago reacquired pipeline operator Equitrans Midstream in a roughly $5.5 billion deal. "Expand is doing it a little bit differently with Twin Eagle," Sorbara adds. "It's really asset-light."