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

2046 ET - South Korean talent agency HYBE could face pressure from higher-than-expected costs tied to the comeback of K-pop boy band BTS after a four-year hiatus, Daiwa Capital's Joon Lee and Thomas Y. Kwon say. Increased production costs for BTS's new album, along with a higher profit-sharing ratio for artists could narrow the company's profit margins, the analysts write in a note. Daiwa lowers its 2026-2027 EPS forecasts for HYBE by 19%-30% to factor in the band's new profit-sharing ratio andincreased transportation costs for world tour concerts in coming years. The group returned to the stage in March after completing mandatory military service in Korea. (kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)

2013 ET - Japanese stocks are lower amid caution over U.S.-Iran peace talks and following the benchmark index's record high on Thursday. Metals and brokerage stocks are leading the declines. Sumitomo Metal Mining is down 4.0%, and Nomura Holdings is 2.2% lower. The dollar is at 159.22 yen, compared with Y158.88 as of Thursday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and any Japanese government measures to deal with the conflict and a shortage of energy and petrochemical products. The Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.7% at 59085.09. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com; @kosakunarioka)

1949 ET - Interestingly, Amplitude Energy's second natural-gas contract for its East Coast Supply Project is linked to movements in oil prices, Euroz Hartleys says. Amplitude today said it has agreed to supply 20 petajoules of natural gas to AGL Energy over an initial four-year term. It is due to start in 2H of 2028 if the current drilling campaign in the Otway Basin of southeastern Australia finds enough gas. Analyst Declan Bonnick says the AGL supply deal differs from Amplitude's March agreement to supply 7.5 petajoules of natural gas annually from the ECSP to EnergyAustralia. That contract isn't linked to oil prices. "At current oil prices, substantially high realized prices would be achieved," Euroz Hartleys says of the AGL supply pact. It has a buy call on Amplitude. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

1945 ET - Japan's Nikkei Stock Average may decline amid caution over U.S.-Iran peace talks and after the benchmark index hit a record high on Thursday. Nikkei futures are down 0.2% at 59470 on the SGX. The dollar is at 159.15 yen, compared with Y158.88 as of Thursday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are focusing on developments in the Middle East and any Japanese government responses to the conflict and a shortage of energy and petrochemical products. The Nikkei Stock Average rose 2.4% to an all-time high of 59518.34 on Thursday. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com)

1925 ET - Haulage company Lindsay Australia's big footprint means it's well placed to hold or grow its market share as Middle East conflict impacts reverberate through the economy, says Ord Minnett. It points to Lindsay Australia's "national network, scale and rail offering for customers looking for a more cost-effective solution with lower fuel intensity." Rail accounts for over 20% of earnings, analyst Ian Munro says. Lindsday Australia has raised fuel levies to pass on a more than 70% rise in diesel prices since February to customers. Still, Ord Minnett cuts its FY26 and FY27 EPS forecasts by 6% and 11%, respectively, to account for higher depreciation and amortization along with interest charges associated with its lease liabilities. Ord Minnett retains a buy call on Lindsay Australia. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

Jefferies cuts its estimates for packaging company Amcor for the second time in a month, citing a 20% on-year rise in resin prices. "We expect costs to impact 4Q26 given typical lags," analyst Ramoun Lazar says. Its EPS forecast for the June quarter falls by 2%. That means its FY26 adjusted EPS view is now US$3.94/share, below Amcor's guidance of US$4.00-US$4.15/share. "We also cut FY27 estimates by 4% to reflect a more cautious outlook for consumer trends and overhang from higher input costs," Jefferies says. "Stock is already pricing both cost and top-line risks, and is -20% versus S&P 500 since the Mid-East conflict." It retains a buy call on Amcor while lowering its price target by 4.6% to A$71.83/share. Amcor ended Thursday at A$55.84. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

Wealth-management platform provider Netwealth's 3Q update reinforces Jefferies's bullish view of the stock. Netwealth said its funds under administration reached A$125.8 billion in the quarter. Net inflows of A$4.0 billion more than offset some A$3.7 billion in market declines. "The all important managed account subset was also a standout, increasing 30% to A$27.9 billion," says analyst Simon Fitzgerald. Jefferies adds that Netwealth's reaffirmed FY26 guidance was positive because it damped any fears of market volatility driving a revision of key targets. Jefferies raises its price target on Netwealth by 8% to A$30.25/share and retains a buy call. Netwealth ended Thursday at A$25.22. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

1855 ET [Dow Jones]--Viva Energy's Geelong refinery should continue to deliver earnings well above historical averages, despite this week's fire at the facility resulting in significant opportunity cost, says Jefferies. That's because refining cracks are very high, particularly for middle distillates, which will be less affected by the fire, analyst Michael Simotas says. "The risk of supply shortfall has increased, but gasoline supply is much less tight, and other importers (including Ampol) should be able to help, minimizing impact on Convenience Retail," Jefferies says. It has a hold call on Viva Energy and cuts its price target by 2.3% to A$2.15/share. Viva Energy has been on a trading halt since the fire broke out. It ended Wednesday at A$2.53. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

Australian stocks look set to slip at the open despite another positive lead from the U.S., where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite again closed at records. ASX futures are down by 0.1% ahead of Friday's session, suggesting that the S&P/ASX 200 will extend Thursday's 0.3% slide. The benchmark index is down by 0.1% so far this week, threatening its run of three straight weekly gains. Ahead of the open, energy explorer Amplitude said it had agreed to supply AGL Energy with natural gas. Payments provider Zip lifted its annual earnings guidance on strong U.S. growth. The S&P 500 added 0.3% and the DJIA rose 0.2% after President Trump said the U.S. might hold discussions with Iran this weekend. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.4%. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

1851 ET - Netflix says it's seeing two early indicators that its podcast business may boost overall engagement. For one, viewers tend to listen to podcasts during daytime hours, allowing Netflix to capture a time when it tends to have less engagement, co-CEO Ted Sarandos says during a call with analysts. People are also viewing the podcasts on mobile, a format where TV and film have historically made up a small share of viewing, he says. "It's great that we get to meet our members where they are, even when they're enjoying other forms of entertainment," Sarandos says. "That's really a thrilling early sign." The streaming giant says it plans to continue adding to its podcast catalog, which includes new Netflix originals as well as several licensed podcasts across genres like pop culture, true crime and sports. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

1640 ET - Netflix says its primary internal metric for engagement quality reached a record in its latest quarter. Part of that improvement is due to investment in core series and films like the launch of season four of Bridgerton, which included events in more than 20 cities, the company says. "When members fall in love with a title, they return to Netflix more frequently (which helps retention), and it also ignites fandom that travels far beyond the screen-boosting word-of mouth and acquisition," Netflix says in a letter to shareholders. Live event programming has also helped engagement, the company says. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

1614 ET - Netflix's recent round of subscription price hikes have gone well, fitting into its aims to improve monetization and "reflecting the strong and increasing value we provide," the company says in a letter to shareholders. Netflix had announced the U.S. price increases a little more than a year after its last hike, and says today it's also adjusting prices in Spain. "Our plans and pricing strategy allows us to offer consumers a wide range of options to suit their needs," the company says. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 16, 2026 20:46 ET (00:46 GMT)

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