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

0812 GMT - Shares of European semiconductor companies start the new week in green territory, building on gains from Friday. Investors have rewarded stocks exposed to artificial intelligence in recent days. In Asia, South Korea's SK Hynix closed 0.6% higher, while Samsung Electronics closed up 5%. In Europe, shares of Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker ASML Holding and smaller rival ASM International are up 2.8% and 1.9%, respectively. BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, is up 0.1%. German chip maker Infineon Technologies gains 2.4%. STMicroelectronics shares are up 2.3%. Meanwhile, the E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures contract edged 0.8% higher, pointing to a positive opening for tech stocks in the U.S. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

0811 GMT - Sainsbury's new, food-focused strategy gives it even more future potential, Shore Capital's Clive Black says in a note. Its acquisition of Argos has given that retail business a good home, and the U.K. grocer is now even better set up with a focus on food, he says. Sainsbury's is now a clearly a grocery dominant business, besides its Tu clothing label, he adds. Shares are down 1.2% at 330.80 pence. (aimee.look@wsj.com)

0754 GMT - Societe Generale's improved cost outlook will lead to consensus EPS upgrades, J.P. Morgan's Delphine Lee and Kian Abouhossein write. The French bank forecasts return on tangible equity between 13% and 14% by 2029, based on 3% annual revenue growth and lower costs. The financial targets were largely anticipated by consensus expectations, JPM says. However, a more ambitious revenue outlook for corporate and investment banking, as well as improved cost control, are the main surprises. The analysts note Societe Generale management's strong track record on reducing costs. As a result, JPM expects consensus earnings per share upgrades between 4% and 5%. Shares are up 3.9%. (michael.hennessey@wsj.com)

0738 GMT - Volkswagen's profit warning initially looks severe, but Deutsche Bank believes the headline significantly overstates the deterioration in the underlying business. The automaker now guides for an operating margin of up to 1% in 2026 versus previous guidance of 4.0%-5.5% and consensus at around 4.1%. Around 10 billion euros of special items will weigh on earnings this year, implying an underlying margin of roughly 4%, broadly in line with expectations, Deutsche Bank adds. The bank doesn't think the announcement materially alters the core investment debate, as investors expected a restructuring would involve substantial charges and write-downs. "The key question remains whether management can protect cash generation while gradually improving underlying profitability. On both metrics, the ad hoc was arguably more reassuring than the headline numbers suggests." Shares fall 1.2%. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)

0734 GMT - London's miners open higher as oil prices ease. The gains come despite a small drop in gold prices as traders assess the inflation outlook. Miners are some of the world's largest consumers of diesel and higher prices increase the cost of mining and eat into margins. Oil is falling as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East step up, with President Trump set to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. Anglo American gains 2.1% while BHP's London shares are 1.5% higher. Rio Tinto's shares are up 1%. Copper miner Antofagasta rises 2.3%.(adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0724 GMT - Societe Generale provided a credible path to its higher 2029 profitability target, Jefferies' Joseph Dickerson and Theo Massing say. The French bank forecasts return on tangible equity between 13% and 14% by 2029, compared with the consensus of 12.6%. "The beauty of today's plan is that management clearly have visibility on the cost trajectory and have outlined a series of highly idiosyncratic actions on the cost base," Jefferies says. The 3% revenue growth target is a lowball, Jefferies says, but it is not driven by more corporate and investment banking growth from 2026. The improvement to profitability isn't linked to French bond yield spreads or politics, and is instead based on costs and growth in digital unit BoursoBank, Jefferies adds. Shares are up 4.9%. (michael.hennessey@wsj.com)

0723 GMT - European stock indexes all gain at the open, retracing some of Friday's sharp losses. Banks and technology stocks rise, while energy-sensitive stocks are supported by a fall in oil prices. The Europe-wide Stoxx 600 is 0.65% up. London's FTSE 100 rises 0.3%, boosted by a 2% gain for Barclays, though oil majors damp gains--BP falls 1.5%. The German DAX adds 0.7%, led by chip maker Infineon--up 2.5%. Volkswagen falls 1.5% after it cut guidance Friday. The French CAC 40 rises 0.6% as SocGen jumps 3.4% after the bank said it aims to boost profitability. Italy's FTSE MIB is up 0.7%, while the Spanish IBEX 35 is 0.65% higher. In Amsterdam, the AEX rises 0.5% as both software and hardware technology stocks gain. ASML jumps 2.8%.(josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

0717 GMT - European energy stocks start the week in the red as oil prices continue to slide. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Iran are putting downward pressure on oil. President Trump is set to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. Immediate supply concerns also ease slightly. Brent crude is down 1.7% to $102.08 a barrel, while the front-month WTI contract slides 2% to $98.33 a barrel. In London, BP falls 1.6%. Shell, Italy's Eni and Spain's Repsol are all around 1% lower. France's TotalEnergies is down 0.8%. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0712 GMT - Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust likely needs a larger divestment transaction, potentially involving a Singapore asset, to move the needle for its balance-sheet strength and capital recycling capacity, says DBS Group Research's Dale Lai in a note. The scope of the REIT's strategic review was narrower than the analyst would have liked. He says that the Australian asset sales might not create sufficient capacity for a large acquisition from its sponsor. "Overall, we see the current exercise as a positive first step, but not yet the full portfolio reset," he says.A more substantial reshaping of the portfolio might be necessary if management intends to pursue meaningful inorganic growth, he adds. DBS retains its buy rating and 1.70 Singapore dollar target price. Units drop 1.45% to S$1.36. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0710 GMT - Berenberg analysts downgrade pretax profit forecasts for Barratt Redrow's fiscal years 2027-29 after the home builder trimmed sales guidance for fiscal 2027. Resurgent build costs--the company guided for 3% to 4% cost inflation--and continuing margin and affordability pressures are also among the reasons behind the downgrade, Berenberg analyst Harry Goad says. Pretax profit expectations for fiscal 2027 stand at 455 million pounds, down from 460 million pounds. For fiscal years 2028 and 2029, forecasts now stand at 539 million pounds and 655 million pounds respectively, down from a previous 560 million pounds and 682 million pounds, Goad says. Although Berenberg's baseline forecasts don't factor in government support for home buyers, any future policy support would be a net positive, Goad says. Shares are down 1.1% at 302.50 pence. (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)

0705 GMT - South Korea's trade surplus could hit a monthly record in September on strong semiconductor exports, Citigroup's Jin-Wook Kim says. The economist expects the surplus to reach $42.70 billion, widening from the prior month's revised $34.79 billion and surpassing the previous record of $35.91 billion set in June. Semiconductor exports hit another record high in the first 20 days of September, with growth accelerating from the same period in August, Kim says. Citi forecasts the country's full-month exports to jump 68.4% from a year earlier and imports to rise 21.0% in September. Citi expects headline inflation to remain at 3.0% in September, following 3.1% in August. (kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)

0657 GMT - Bitcoin remains elevated above $81,000 after reaching a two-and-a-half-week high overnight. Bitcoin is supported by stronger exchange traded fund inflows, positive regulatory developments and investors closing earlier bets against the cryptocurrency, Zaye Capital Markets analyst Naeem Aslam says in a note. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has introduced a five-year exemption for platforms that facilitate trading tokenized stocks and other securities through blockchain technology. This could strengthen confidence in the wider blockchain ecosystem by reducing uncertainty around how institutional products and trading venues will operate, Aslam says. A more constructive U.S. tone ahead of talks with China could also improve risk appetite, he says. Bitcoin rises 0.5% to $81,520 after reaching as high as $82,050 overnight, LSEG data show.