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

1125 GMT - Schneider Electric's proposed acquisition of Boston-based PTC marks the latest foray into software for a company that has shown repeated appetite for engineering-software assets, J.P. Morgan analysts say in a research note. "A completed deal would be a rare cross-border software transaction amid a marked sector slowdown as companies assess AI's implications for their business models," the analysts say. The $22.6 billion deal far eclipses the French industrial group's $11 billion purchase of Aveva in 2023 and its $3.1 billion agreement to acquire Cognite in June, the analysts add. For PTC, the price of the deal is in the same region as what was speculated last year with Autodesk, according to JPM. Schneider shares fall 9.9%, while PTC's surge 37% in U.S. premarket trading. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

1112 GMT - Schneider Electric's proposed $22.6 billion acquisition of U.S. software maker PTC could have strategic merits, even if investors balk at the price, J.P. Morgan analysts say in a research note. "Large-scale [mergers and acquisitions are] typically unwelcome in the first instance by European investors, although Schneider Electric's deals have typically proven strategically astute, if debatable from a valuation standpoint," the analysts say. PTC moves Schneider's own Aveva to the front rank of design and lifecycle software from the periphery, they add. The French group's industrial-automation division--where Aveva resides--required some kind of action to reaffirm its position relative to peers and time will tell whether PTC serves that purpose, JPM says. Schneider shares fall 9.9%, while PTC is up 38% in U.S. premarket trading. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

1051 GMT - Laopu Gold now offers value, says Henry Soediarko of CrossASEAN Research. The analyst's assessment comes as the stock has lost about 60% of its value since hitting a peak in January, when gold prices surged to all-time highs. Compared with its July 2025 record, the stock has plunged by 70%. While plenty of pre-IPO investors have taken profit, Soediarko argues that the Chinese jeweler is "actually doing quite well" based on operating figures. Laopu Gold is different from Chow Tai Fook Jewellery in that it's "more of a global luxury house than a goldsmith," the analyst writes on Smartkarma. At a price/earnings ratio of 7 times and a 10% dividend yield, Laopu Gold may offer value, he adds. Shares last ended 0.6% lower at HK$325.20. (farah.elias@wsj.com)

0951 GMT - European energy majors' earnings are set to more than double on the same period last year, Barclays analyst Lydia Rainforth writes. The sector should report earnings close to $35 billion with underlying free cash flow around $45 billion, she says. The benchmark refining margin is at unseen levels of around $40 a barrel, which, coupled with trading, will drive downstream earnings, she adds. Meanwhile, European natural gas prices are the key driver of upstream earnings, she says. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0947 GMT - U.K. government bond yields rise but are below recent highs and increase by less than French peers, where fiscal concerns are building. Gilt yields rise largely due to global factors, although investors are cautious ahead of the Oct. 28 budget, Luke Hickmore at Aberdeen Investments says in a note. "Oil, conflict in the Middle East and rising U.S. yields are pushing borrowing costs up everywhere." The budget will be key for gilts, however. If the U.K. government delivers fiscal discipline as promised, gilt yields could fall, he says. The 10-year gilt yield rises 3.3 basis points to 5.391% but stays below Thursday's three-year high of 5.505%, according to Tradeweb. The French equivalent rises 5.9 bps to 4.916%. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

0859 GMT - Schneider Electric is buying U.S. software maker PTC at a reasonable valuation, but the deal leaves the French engineering giant more exposed to investor concerns about the impact of AI on industrial-software assets, RBC Capital Markets' Mark Fielding and Abigail Yee say. The valuations of industrial-software companies have been under pressure due to AI worries, and Schneider's exposure to this concern will grow after the deal, the analysts say in a research note. Moreover, the integration might be complicated, and creating a software and AI portfolio won't be simple either, they add. The debt Schneider will take on might reignite prior market concerns about the company, according to RBC. Schneider shares fall 9.2%. PTC climbs 25% in U.S. premarket trading.(adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

0849 GMT - Ithaca Energy's deal to buy Suncor's offshore Canada assets lifts its medium-term outlook to 140,000 to 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day from 120,000 barrels a day, Barclays analyst Naisheng Cui writes. The London-listed energy company expects to become the fifth​-​largest operator offshore Canada by production, which gives it a platform for future consolidation and growth opportunities across North America, he adds. Shares rise 3.1% to 284 pence.(adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0823 GMT - Malaysia's palm oil sector's outlook could improve as Malaysian palm oil inventories approach a cyclical peak and the lagged impact of El Nino begins to weigh on production, Public Investment Bank analyst Chong Hoe Leong says in a note. Inventories will likely peak around October before declining from November, providing a stronger basis for CPO prices to recover, he says. A stronger-than-expected El Nino could further tighten global palm oil supply, with production in Malaysia and Indonesia potentially falling 3%-8% under moderate to prolonged dry conditions, he reckons. Higher crude oil prices could also boost palm oil demand for biodiesel, while Indonesia's B50 biodiesel mandate is expected to provide additional structural support, he adds. Public IB maintains an overweight rating on Malaysia's plantation sector, pegging Sarawak Plantation and TA Ann as preferred picks. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0817 GMT - A preliminary deal between the U.S. and Iran is unlikely to materialize before the first quarter of next year, according to BMI analysts. "Extended disruptions to regional oil flows will see price pressures extend and build across the coming three to six months, compounded by ongoing supply-side constraints stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war," they say. "Prices will zigzag higher, as repeated cycles of escalation and deescalation between Washington and Tehran meet with progressively lower inventory levels and fewer fundamental brakes on future rallies." BMI raised its oil price forecast, saying it now sees Brent crude at an average of $93 a barrel this year, from $83 a barrel previously. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0750 GMT - Oil prices fall in early trading as recovering Middle East crude exports and the release of oil stocks by the Group of Seven eased concerns over supplies. President Trump also ruled out a diesel export ban, which would have tightened international products markets. Front-month Brent crude is down 0.9% to $101.32 a barrel, while WTI futures decline 1.5% to $89.75 a barrel. Further reinforcing expectations of looser crude oil market conditions, Saudi Arabia reduced the official selling price for its Arab Light to Asia by $3 a barrel for November loadings, widening its discount to the regional benchmark to $5 a barrel. Still, tensions in the region remain elevated, with several vessels coming under attack around the coasts of Oman and Yemen. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0735 GMT - National Grid's asset and earnings growth targets are well underpinned, if not leaning toward the conservative side, J.P. Morgan analysts write. The energy company said its regulated business was trading in line with expectations and forecast group EPS growth of 13%-15% for fiscal 2027. "Over 90% of the company's investments in the coming years will be in regulated businesses, underpinned by robust frameworks that offer a high degree of earnings and cash-flow visibility," the analysts say. JPM has an overweight rating on the stock and 14.40 pound target price. Shares are up 0.8% at 11.55 pounds. (ian.walker@wsj.com)

0728 GMT - Ithaca Energy is once again taking a differentiated but potentially more valuable path, Jefferies analyst Mark Wilson writes. While market commentators have focused on who will buy BP's North Sea assets, the London-listed energy company has made its first international acquisition offshore the east coast of Canada, he adds. The deal is immediately accretive and the basin has significant technical and operational parallels to the U.K. North Sea, he adds. Shares rise 1.9% to 280.0 pence.