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

1005 GMT - SoftBank Group and Alibaba shares are falling as investors balk at their plans to raise more cash to fund AI expansion, Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya says. Alibaba said it would raise $10.2 billion via a new share placement, while SoftBank plans to issue a record volume of retail bonds. The tech companies "are being punished today for seeking more financing," Ozkardeskaya says. The response from investors suggests that wider market sentiment around AI is fragile, the analyst adds. Alibaba's U.S.-listed depositary receipts fall 3.2% premarket, while SoftBank Group shares closed 5.3% lower in Tokyo. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

1000 GMT - Morgan Stanley raised its Brent crude forecast for the fourth quarter, saying it sees prices peaking at $100 a barrel as a slower Middle East supply recovery leaves the oil market in deficit through the first quarter of next year. "Crude is tightening. Recent weeks have seen one of the sharpest declines in oil-on-water, whilst onshore inventories are declining as well, including in China," analysts at the bank say. Morgan Stanley now expects the recovery in Middle East supply to extend well into 2027. Meanwhile, releases from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve are slowing and could end after September, while Chinese crude buying has stabilized and could strengthen, according to the bank. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0942 GMT - Zhongji Innolight should be able to maintain its leading position in the optical transceiver market, Nomura analysts say in a research note. Its solid 2Q results indicate that the company continues to benefit from the product upgrade cycle. Tight supply boosted 2Q product shipments for the company, but the analysts think the supply gap will narrow in 2H. Still, Innolight's effective supply-chain management will likely help it maintain its leading market share, they say. Geopolitics will remain an overhang on the stock as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission considers a ban on imports of new Chinese optical transceivers, they add. Nomura maintains its target price on Innolight's A shares at 1,375.00 yuan. Shares end at 870.22 yuan. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0940 GMT - Trainline's share fall since the U.K. competition regulator opened its investigation into ticket pricing practices is overdone, Shore Capital analysts Katie Cousins and Greg Johnson write. The public transport ticket platform's shares have fallen around 19% since Tuesday's announcement, wiping off about 185 million pounds from its market value, the analysts note. "Whilst the outcome remains uncertain, the share price decline appears to be discounting a level of financial and structural damage that we do not currently see supported by either regulatory precedent or the nature of the investigation," they write. Shore Capital has a buy rating on the stock and 400 pence target price. Shares are up 0.8% at 199.10 pence, but down 9.7% over the year to date. (ian.walker@wsj.com)

0937 GMT - Alibaba will likely produce a comprehensive assessment on the impact of its newly announced equity issuance on investors, Jefferies analysts write. The Chinese e-retailer said it plans to place shares worth $10.2 billion to extend its leadership in the AI sector. Investors responded with concern that the new issuance would dilute their own holdings in the Hong Kong-listed company. However, the company will provide detail on the impact on investors' earnings-per-share, and will explain the issuance in the context of the group's buyback plans, the analysts say. They calculate the issuance could dilute earnings-per-share by 3.5%. Alibaba shares fall 8.5% in Hong Kong. U.S.-listed depositary receipts fall 3.4% premarket. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

0927 GMT - Ryanair is more insulated than most of its competitors against a weak market given its stronger balance sheet, margins and fuel hedging, Citi's Conor Dwyer writes. "The harder the winter becomes, the greater the pressure on these carriers to reduce capacity, close routes or accept further financial strain," Dwyer says. He adds that competitive pressures are likely to ease next year and that buyback talk could restart. Citi has a buy rating on the stock and a 31.50 euro target price. Shares are up 0.9% at 23.25 euros. (ian.walker@wsj.com)

0919 GMT - Genting's earnings could improve in 2H, supported by the ramp-up of Resorts World New York City's commercial casino operations and seasonally stronger performance at Resorts World Las Vegas, CIMB Securities analyst Choong Chen Foong says in a note. Genting's core net profit could more than triple in 2026 and rise a further 63% in 2027, mainly due to an expected narrowing of net losses at Resorts World Las Vegas and stronger earnings at Genting Plantations, he reckons. However, higher depreciation, financing costs and Resorts World Las Vegas' elevated debt remain key risks, he adds. CIMB cuts Genting's target price by 6% to 2.30 ringgit, while maintaining its hold rating on the stock. Shares last closed 1.0% lower at 2.08 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0902 GMT - Qatar's construction sector is expected to contract by 9.7% in 2026, a sharp downgrade from a pre-conflict forecast for 3.2% growth, BMI says. The revision reflects direct and indirect disruption from the U.S.-Iran conflict, including project suspensions, supply-chain strains, higher materials costs and weaker investment sentiment. BMI says a prolonged conflict or delayed reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would further pressure activity, while reduced LNG processing capacity could weigh on government revenues and construction spending. The research firm expects growth to recover to 6.7% in 2027 if hostilities ease and Hormuz partially reopens. (farhan.rafid@wsj.com)

0830 GMT - Aegon faces near-term risks from the departure of Chief Financial Officer Duncan Russell and a new holding company structure that is perceived as less efficient, Citi's Alejandra Chavez says. The Dutch insurance and asset-management company reported lower-than-expected free cash flow for the first half due to a decline in remittances from its international arm, Citi says. However, overall reporting for the first half wasn't particularly noisy, the analyst adds. Negative surprises from the report were mostly temporary and the U.S. bank expects Aegon to meet or exceed its 2026 targets. Despite this, the leadership change and new structure might weigh on the stock, Citi says. It has a buy recommendation with a target price of 9.11 euros. Shares are up 1.1% at 7.84 euros. (michael.hennessey@wsj.com)

0825 GMT - Singapore's planned major infrastructure and construction projects could serve as a critical rerating catalyst for the construction sector, say OCBC Group Research analysts in a note. The city-state is planning large-scale land reclamation and infrastructure projects, such as the merger of several islands, its prime minister said in a speech Sunday. These moves could support the construction and building materials sector as they extend the pipeline of large public-sector civil works into the next decade, the analysts note. Building materials suppliers such as Hong Leong Asia and Pan-United Corp. are likely to be early stage beneficiaries of land reclamation, while downstream builders like Boustead Singapore could get an eventual boost from larger public-sector infrastructure tenders. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0803 GMT - Anta Sports Products' earnings could be weighed by a warmer winter due to the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon, DBS Group Research's Alison Fok and Mavis Hui say in a note. The potentially warmer winter could damp demand for outerwear. That leads the analysts to trim their 2026-2027 earnings forecasts by 1.4%-2.7%. DBS cuts its target price to 106.20 Hong Kong dollars from HK$109.00. However, the bank maintains a buy rating, noting that the Chinese sportswear company's shares trade at undemanding valuations, which suggest that key risks are largely priced in. Shares fall 2.2% to HK$72.50. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0800 GMT - Asian tech stocks are being tested by corporate actions and supply concerns, Tickmill Group's Patrick Munnelly says in a note. With Alibaba planning to raise $10.2 billion for AI investment via a share placement and Chinese memory chipmaker YMTC seeking $4.9 billion in a Shanghai IPO, there are growing concerns about massive equity dilution and fresh share supply hitting the market, he notes. "While easing crude prices provide a temporary buffer, trade spats and incoming inflation data leave little room for complacency," he says. Meanwhile, investors trim risk exposure to highly sensitive growth stocks ahead of pivotal megacap earnings, including Nvidia's later this week, and the Federal Reserve's annual Jackson Hole gathering.