The latest Market Talks covering the Auto and Transport sector. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

1613 GMT - Volvo Car is suffering from intense competition in China, but the Swedish carmaker's chief commercial officer, Erik Severinson, still sees a path for his company to succeed in the world's largest car market in the long run. Sales of premium cars made by Western companies are under pressure in China, while local players are fighting a price war to drive volumes, Severinson says in an interview. "Right now it is very difficult to compete in that market for everyone," he says. Volvo is betting that new models with self-driving and infotainment systems, as well as differentiated interior designs, will make its cars more relevant to Chinese consumers, Severinson says. Volvo Car shares close 0.1% higher. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

1610 GMT - The rise of China's car industry poses a threat to some European carmakers, but not to the industry as a whole, Volvo Car Chief Commercial Officer Erik Severinson says in an interview. "I don't think it's an existential threat to the automotive industry," Severinson says. "But of course it is an existential threat to companies within that industry." The arrival of Chinese automakers will lead to a deterioration in profit margins for many brands in Europe, but the car industry has always been competitive, Severinson says. The history of the car industry is filled with examples of companies that have gone out of business due to new competition, he adds. Volvo Car shares close 0.1% higher. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

1103 GMT - Wizz Air's financial targets for 2030 are ambitious but credible, J.P. Morgan equity research director Harry Gowers writes. The Hungarian airline released a statement ahead of its investor day, aiming for 10 billion euros in revenue and a 10% EBIT margin, both of which are higher than the Bloomberg consensus, he says. "These targets look ambitious versus Wizz's profitability postpandemic, but we also view them as achievable if the company can execute within a broadly stable environment," Gowers says. JPM has a neutral rating on the stock and 12.00-pound price target. Shares are up 3.8% to 988.50 pence, though they are down 22% year to date. (joseph.wilkins@wsj.com)

0753 GMT - European gas prices rise with the Dutch TTF contract up 0.45% at 78.37 euros a megawatt-hour. This is despite oil prices falling on the prospect of lost Saudi Arabian supplies returning to the global market faster than expected. Lower-than-average storage levels, especially in Germany, continue to support gas prices heading into the winter. Germany has now pushed its state-owned gas trader to buy more gas in a bid to grow inventories.(adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0318 GMT - The Malaysian oil and gas sector-related exposure should continue to attract investors as Middle East disruptions are expected to persist through year-end, Kenanga Investment Bank analyst Peter Kong and his team say in a note. While higher interest rates, partly driven by higher energy prices, may weigh on technology and other rate-sensitive sectors, oil and gas-related stocks could benefit from Middle East disruptions. Shipping company MISC is Kenanga's preferred stock. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0308 GMT - The Indonesian auto market's recovery suggests resilient vehicle demand despite continuing macro uncertainties, which supports Maybank Sekuritas Indonesia's constructive view on the sector. Car sales rose 1% on month in August and notched the strongest monthly volume recorded so far in 2026, she says. Improving consumer confidence, manageable financing conditions and growing electric-vehicle adoption should support industry volumes into 2H, says analyst Paulina Margareta in a note. However, incumbent manufacturers face increasing pressure to defend market share from aggressive Chinese competitors, she says. Conglomerate Astra International, which also sells vehicles, is likely to focus on maintaining its market leadership amid accelerating EV penetration and evolving competitive dynamics, she says. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0220 GMT - Hyundai Mobis remains attractive despite earnings pressure from the won's appreciation, Daiwa Capital's Henny Jung and Yoonki Bae say. The analysts view the South Korean auto-component supplier as "the primary hardware foundation for Hyundai Motor Group's physical artificial-intelligence initiative." Hyundai Mobis is positioned to generate revenue from robotics by developing high-precision actuators for the Atlas humanoid robots of robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics, they note. The company is also providing the scalable hardware framework needed to integrate software-defined vehicle controllers for its parent auto group. To reflect the won's strength and higher raw-material costs, Daiwa lowers its 2026-2027 earnings forecasts for the stock and trims its target price to 560,000 won from 580,000 won but maintains a buy rating. Shares are 0.5% lower at 381,000 won.(kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)

0219 GMT - Earnings at Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and other major Japanese shipping companies are likely to benefit from continued disruption in the Middle East, Jefferies analysts say in a note. Tanker markets remain exceptionally strong, supported by rerouting demand and constrained effective supply, they say. The outage of a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia adds another layer of uncertainty to already tight tanker markets, the U.S. bank says. Meanwhile, containership markets also remain firmer than expected, benefiting from disruption in the Red Sea, congestion and resilient demand, the bank says. Jefferies raises its target price on Mitsui O.S.K. Lines to 9,400 yen from Y8,600 and maintains a buy rating. Shares are up 2.4% at Y7,322. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com; @kosakunarioka)

0135 GMT - Atlas Arteria's new bull at Macquarie sees value in the toll-road operator despite negative traffic trends. Raising their recommendation to outperform from neutral, an analyst at the investment bank tells clients in a note that the 2.2% drop in traffic for July and August was in line with expectations, given slowing manufacturing activity and soft consumer confidence. They concede that the operating environment in France is tough and that dividends will likely be lower in 2027, but point to several positives. They see only limited sensitivity to interest-rate moves, little value being ascribed to concession extensions, and an 8.7% yield. Macquarie trims its target price 3.1% to 4.75 Australian dollars. Shares are up 0.7% at A$4.47. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

1752 GMT - United Airlines CFO Mike Leskinen says premium is the priority across the travel industry. He says at a Morgan Stanley conference that hotels, cruise lines and car service providers are all jumping on the premium trend that started with airlines increasing their higher-class seating capacity. Premium has higher margins for the companies, and it plays on consumers' increasing interest in experiences, Leskinen says. He believes travelers now prioritize experiences over products, so they are willing to pay more. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)

1750 GMT - United Airlines says its customers have remained resilient despite higher fare prices. United flyers have disposable income and want to spend on experiences, even as prices rise due to higher fuel costs, CFO Mike Leskinen says during a Morgan Stanley conference. Demand has stayed strong in 3Q and bookings are strong for 4Q, though there is a little weakness among lower-income consumers, Leskinen says. "If you squint at some of the lower-priced tickets, you might be able to find something there," he says, but Premium tickets are "humming along very nicely." (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)

1747 GMT - United Airlines plans to continue cutting marginal routes as fuel costs remain elevated, CFO Mike Leskinen says during a Morgan Stanley conference. The airline has already cut some of those routes as the war in Iran has driven up fuel costs, he says. In 4Q, there will be some flights in December that won't fly that United originally thought would, Leskinen says. If fuel costs remain high, United plans to make more adjustments in 1Q and beyond in 2027. "We are not flying to maximize market share. We're flying to maximize profitability and free cash generation," Leskinen says.