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

0541 GMT - Investors are opting to take profits ahead of the long Easter weekend, fanning market moves after President Trump's address on Iran disappointed, Ten Cap lead portfolio manager Jun Bei Liu says. The market had a level of expectation Trump would give a definitive time period for the end of the war, says Liu. "A lot can happen during this weekend, especially with his rhetoric being more aggressive," she says. "So, the market just decided: It's time to take profit." When the Australian market returns on Tuesday, "we know we will probably have a rough day," she adds. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 is down 1.1%. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)

0521 GMT - Australia's benchmark stock index finished 1.1% lower at 8579.5 after a mid-session reverse around a televised address in which President Trump signaled further military strikes on Iran. The S&P/ASX 200 was coming off its best day in almost a year, and was up another 0.6% just before Trump began speaking at midday in Sydney on Thursday. The ASX 200 reversed seconds before the address began and kept falling until it steadied moments before the close. The heavyweight materials sector was the biggest drag, losing 2.8% as shares of iron-ore, lithium and gold miners all dropped. Of the ASX 200's 11 sectors, only the relatively defensive consumer staples and utilities finished higher. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

0521 GMT - The Singapore residential market's current consolidation phase suggests a healthy recalibration rather than structural weakness, says DBS Group Research in commentary. This is assuming that the market's underlying demand fundamentals remain intact, its analysts say. Private home prices rose by a modest 0.3% on quarter in 1Q, while private residential sales volumes contracted by around 40% on quarter. Moderating pricing trends appear broadly in line with DBS's expectations for private residential prices to grow by 1.0%-3.0% this year. While transaction volumes could undershoot DBS's near-term initial projections if buyer sentiment remains cautious, the analysts expect activity to recover in 2Q-3Q, which are seasonally stronger for project launches. DBS continues to favor property developers with visible launch pipelines, such as UOL Group and City Developments.(megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0517 GMT - Malaysia's latest phase of its nationwide digital infrastructure program should support the telecom sector, RHB IB analyst Jeffrey Tan says. The rollout, backed by 780 million ringgit, aims to boost coverage and achieve full internet penetration using towers and satellite broadband, with initial sites concentrated in East Malaysia. That could lift order flows for infrastructure players such as edotco, OCK, Reach Ten and REDtone Digital after delays tied to earlier 5G policy uncertainty, he says. RHB maintains a neutral rating on Malaysian telecommunications sector, pegging Telekom Malaysia as top pick. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0503 GMT - South Korea's inflation could accelerate in the coming months on higher energy costs, despite government caps on fuel prices, ING's Min Joo Kang says. "Government measures are keeping consumer price pressures in check for now, but we expect inflation to strengthen in the coming months," Kang writes in a note. She also expects the weaker won against the dollar to push up domestic prices in the coming months. The Bank of Korea is expected to hold its policy rate at 2.50% in its April 10 policy meeting, adopting a wait-and-see stance as it assesses whether Middle East-driven energy shocks ease or intensify, she adds. (kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 02, 2026 01:41 ET (05:41 GMT)

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