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

0907 GMT - Airbus dispatched 68 commercial aircraft to customers in September, Jefferies analysts write in a research note. They estimate the European plane maker sent seven A220s, 56 A320neos, two A330neos and three A350s. The company delivered 475 aircraft by the end of August and Jefferies's September estimate would lift the year-to-date figure to 543. Analysts say the group would need 14% growth in fourth-quarter deliveries to reach its annual target of about 870 planes. Airbus shares trade 2.1% higher at 189.46 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

0859 GMT - J.D. Wetherspoon remains ambitious despite higher costs hurting fiscal 2026 profits, Interactive Investor analyst Richard Hunter says. Although the pub chain has been dealt some difficult hands in the past, it has turned adversity into profit, he says. Still, its value model leaves it continually facing higher costs that pressure margins and profits, Hunter adds. Despite lower-than-expected World Cup sales, the stock has surged this past year--beating the broader market--with investors relieved by the company's performance, he says. "Until such time as a sustained recovery can be shown, the market consensus of the shares as a hold will most likely remain in place." Shares are up 7.2% at 871.50 pence. (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)

0853 GMT - Nike's earnings show the company's North American recovery plan is working, but performance in China is weighing on its growth, Jefferies's Randal Konik writes. Nike's 2027 guidance was weaker than expected, and China is the largest overhang on the company's outlook, the analyst writes. However, the earnings validate Chief Executive Elliott Hill's strategy, Konik says. "While the turnaround will take time, improving profitability and North American momentum support our view that progress is on track." The lower guidance is a positive attempt to reset investors' expectations, the analyst adds. Shares fall 9.9% in premarket trade.(josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

0845 GMT - Airbus has to deliver a record number of planes to customers in the fourth quarter to meet its annual target, MWB Research's Jens-Peter Rieck writes in a note to clients. The European plane maker is aiming for roughly 870 commercial aircraft deliveries this year. It dispatched 475 by the end of August and Rieck estimates 69 deliveries in September, lifting the year-to-date figure to 544. That means Airbus would need to send about 326, or roughly 109 per month, to meet its annual goal, Rieck says. He notes this would be 14% above last year's fourth-quarter figure of 286 planes and 10% above the previous fourth-quarter record of 297 in 2018. Airbus shares trade 2.1% higher at 189.46 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

0834 GMT - J.D. Wetherspoon's higher repair costs have taken their toll, but the company's fiscal 2027 has started well, Peel Hunt analysts Douglas Jack and Ivor Jones say in a note. Pretax profit for fiscal 2026 fell 28% as repairs reached 31 million pounds, but sales were up 4.2% over the full year and have accelerated to 8.6% in the first nine weeks of fiscal 2027, the analysts say. Peel Hunt holds its pretax profit forecasts for the fiscal year at 76.1 million pounds, which assume EBIT margins recover by 40 basis points after a 147 basis points decline in fiscal 2026. Peel Hunt raises its target price to 800 pence from 750 pence and reiterates its hold rating on the stock. Shares are up 7.7% at 875.50 pence. (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)

0824 GMT - Citi analysts dismiss concerns that MTU Aero's V2500 aircraft turbofan engine fleet will retire faster than CFM International's competing CFM56 turbofan jet engine. According to the analysts, both narrowbody engine models average roughly 16.5 years in age, and the vast majority of both fleets will be retired within the next decade. The German engine manufacturer's forward earnings growth is expected to remain on par with peers, with cash flow conversion surging toward 80% to 90% as geared turbofan compensation payments--the financial settlement paid by engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney--end and long-term service agreements grow, Citi says. "We see a strong case for partial closure of MTU's valuation discount to peers," Citi says. Shares are up 0.2% at 369.30 euros.(anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)

0824 GMT - Shares of European semiconductor companies are in positive territory as appetite for stocks exposed to artificial intelligence grows. Earlier in the week, memory chip maker Micron Technology posted strong quarterly results and said demand would remain strong for years to come. In Europe, shares of Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker ASML Holding and smaller rival ASM International are up 2.3% and 4.1%, respectively. BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, is up 2.6%. German chip maker Infineon Technologies' stock gains 4.6%. STMicroelectronics shares are up 2.7%. Meanwhile, the E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures contract is up 0.8% higher, indicating a positive opening for tech stocks in the U.S. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

0814 GMT - New World Development's early termination of its 11 Skies sub-lease with the Airport Authority is positive, says Citi analysts in a note. The move removes an annual guaranteed rent obligation of HK$1.8 billion through September 2066, which Citi estimates exceeds potential rental income from the asset, they say. The company booked a HK$18.3 billion net impairment loss last year, including HK$14.7 billion of asset impairments and HK$2.3 billion of early termination costs, they add. Beyond 11 Skies, the company is seeing several sources of balance-sheet relief, including a HK$1 billion additional credit line secured against Victoria Dockside, lower finance costs following its December 2025 debt exchange, and a proposed REIT spin-off that could unlock HK$3.7 billion from Shanghai K11 assets, they say. Shares has been volatile and last down 4.1% in Hong Kong. (jiahui.huang@wsj.com; @ivy_jiahuihuang)

0809 GMT - DFI Retail's 2027-2028 earnings could be lower than previously expected, says DBS Group Research's Zheng Feng Chee in a note, citing the retailer's move to take full control of its Starbucks licensed business in certain Asian markets in exchange for its stake in Maxim's Caterers. The full contribution from the Starbucks operations can't completely offset the loss of earnings from other Maxim's businesses, the analyst cites management as saying. Still, the company is confident of the Starbucks business delivering 6%-7% top-line growth over 2027-2029, he adds. DBS trims its 2027-2028 earnings estimates by 7%-13% and cuts its target price to US$4.50 from US$5.00. The bank maintains a buy rating. Shares fall 7.9% to US$3.13. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0805 GMT - China's new mortgage subsidy is likely to have limited practical impact, according to BofA Securities in a research note. While the subsidy could lower buyer's borrowing cost, the eligibility is "relatively narrow," the bank says. It points out that the subsidy applies only to newly issued commercial mortgages for first-home purchases, with qualifying properties capped at 120 square meters and 1.5 million yuan in value. That said, BofA thinks policy may still help to improve sentiment and provide a partial cushion against the constrained developer cash flow and property investment, the bank says. (tracy.qu@wsj.com)

0756 GMT - IG Group Holdings' lower 2026 guidance is driven by lower over-the-counter income retention and a weaker market backdrop, RBC Capital Markets' Ben Bathurst says. The online trading platform's new 2026 revenue guidance suggests earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization between 490 million and 500 million pounds, RBC says, which would be 16% lower than the Canadian bank's estimates. "A lower than expected revenue retention rate of 70% for OTC business also looks to have been a material driver of the miss, but we note revenues would have been below our expectations irrespective of this, as there was an implicit 16% miss on non OTC revenues," the analyst adds. The lower retention follows a recent decision to hedge less of the OTC book, RBC added. Shares are down 22%. (michael.hennessey@wsj.com)

0749 GMT - Gold prices tick higher as markets scale back expectations for imminent interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. "A drop in U.S. Treasury yields overnight along with more cautious commentary from Fed officials is helping to support gold while PCE inflation released earlier in the week came in below expectations for August," says Soojin Kim from MUFG. The probability of another 25-basis-point hike at the FOMC's October meeting has fallen to 28%, from around 70% a week ago, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool. The nonfarm payrolls report due later Friday is expected to be the next major catalyst for gold prices. In early European trading, New York gold futures are up 0.3% to $4,212.80 a troy ounce.