The latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

0751 GMT - China Unicom (Hong Kong)'s move to suspend dividends in 1H was an unpleasant surprise to DBS Group Research analysts, but they note this is likely to be a one-off occurrence. The board didn't declare an interim dividend in 1H, a surprise given that the stock is largely held for its yield, the analysts say in a note. The management attributed the suspension to frontloaded capital expenditure. While the analysts cut their 2026-2028 earnings estimates by 6.2%-11% on value-added tax's effects, they retain their projection of a more than 65% dividend payout ratio, which implies a 7.9% yield. DBS cuts its target price to 8.00 Hong Kong dollars from HK$8.70 and maintains its buy rating. Shares rise 0.7% to HK$5.775. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0734 GMT - Delta Electronics is entering a stronger artificial-intelligence-driven growth phase as next-generation power systems move into mass production, helping offset near-term supply chain bottlenecks, according to a Fubon Research report. While power-management chip shortages are expected to weigh on 3Q revenue, Fubon expects growth to reaccelerate in 4Q as supply constraints ease and demand for AI server power equipment remains strong. Fubon reiterates its buy rating, citing coming contributions from high-voltage direct current systems and power solutions for Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform. Delta is expected to maintain its leadership in AI server power infrastructure, supported by its research capabilities, broad product portfolio and manufacturing scale, Fubon says. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0658 GMT - Nihon Dempa Kogyo is expected to benefit from growth in demand for crystal devices for data centers, Nomura's Mikihiko Yamato says in a report. It has a competitive edge in high-precision oscillators for optical transceivers having transmission speeds of 1.6- and 3.2-terabits per second, which are used in artificial-intelligence data centers, the analyst says. Optical transceivers currently operate at transmission speeds of 400 and 800 gigabits per second, but Nomura expects this to increase to 1.6Tbps or 3.2Tbps as data volumes increase. Nomura initiates coverage of the stock with a buy rating and a target price of 6,000 yen. Shares closed 8.65% higher at Y2,737. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0604 GMT - Malaysia's 2027 budget could carry an election-friendly tone that benefits certain domestic-facing sectors, TA Securities analyst Kaladher Govindan says in a note. Likely priorities include rail infrastructure projects in Penang and Johor, flood-mitigation and water infrastructure, as well as AI, data centers and semiconductor manufacturing incentives. Cost-of-living relief is also probably on the table. Sectors including construction, property and utilities are expected to benefit the most from fiscal spending, he says. Technology and plantation sectors could also gain from targeted incentives to support long-term growth. TA Securities flags Gamuda, Tenaga Nasional, Telekom Malaysia, Nestle (Malaysia) and Sime Darby Property as among the companies that stand to gain. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0531 GMT - StarHub is likely the only viable local buyer for M1 if owner Keppel Ltd. is willing to part with the Singapore telecom company following SIMBA's cancelled bid, Citi analyst Arthur Pineda says in a note. Pricing for M1 would likely need to be revised lower from SIMBA's earlier S$1.43 billion offer, given weaker industry profitability since then, he says. While an acquisition of M1 could potentially prove accretive to StarHub over the long term, the company would likely need to issue additional equity given its weakened profit and balance-sheet position, Pineda says. Shares are flat at 1.11 Singapore dollars. (venkat.pr@wsj.com)

0507 GMT - SK Hynix looks undervalued at 3.1X forecast 2027 P/E and 1.6X P/B, versus multiples of 5.9X and 3.0X, respectively, implied by Mirae Asset Securities analyst Young-gun Kim's target price. Continued strong demand for high-bandwidth memory chips and increasing adoption by AI chip makers should support customer diversification at SK Hynix. Mirae Asset projects DRAM memory prices to rise 15.8% on quarter in 3Q and 7.2% in 4Q, supporting earnings growth. The brokerage raises its target price on SK Hynix to 3,100,000 won from 2,800,000 won while maintaining a buy rating. Shares are up 4.2% at 1,868,000 won. (venkat.pr@wsj.com)

0443 GMT - Shennan Circuits' plan to lower the maximum private placement size to 4.37 billion yuan from 4.88 billion yuan will not alter its Wuxi project plan, says Citi analyst Eric Lay in a note. The 3.6 billion yuan Wuxi AI computing electronic circuit project will retain its full investment, with the reduction in fundraising coming from the working capital tranche. A smaller working capital allocation does not affect the company's revenue or margin assumptions, and Citi makes no changes to its estimates. Citi maintains its buy rating and 465.0 yuan target price. Shares were up 0.3% at 383.80 yuan. (venkat.pr@wsj.com)

0327 GMT - As large technology companies ramp up spending on custom artificial-intelligence chips, competition is shifting to networking technologies that tie increasingly complex computing systems together, according to a Digitimes Intelligence report. The report says AI infrastructure is moving toward a multi-architecture model, in which GPUs and proprietary AI accelerators coexist, increasing demand for advanced interconnect technologies. Digitimes says the shift should create opportunities across the supply chain, from switch and interconnect chipmakers to suppliers of cables, connectors and optical components, particularly in Taiwan's hardware ecosystem. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0255 GMT - A weaker dollar and Nvidia's larger payout could bolster global dividend growth this year, says Capital Group in a report. Companies tracked by Capital Group paid a record $827.3 billion in 2Q dividends, up 7.9% from a year earlier, it says, adding that Nvidia's larger payout earlier this year could add around $18 billion to the global total, lifting annual dividend growth by nearly one percentage point. Larger one-off dividends and foreign-exchange effects prompt Capital Group to raise its 2026 global dividend projection to $2.23 trillion--representing a 6.4% gain on year from $2.20 trillion. Its quarterly report tracks the world's largest 1,600 companies, representing around 85% of global market capitalization as of end-December. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0207 GMT - Malaysia's technology sector's bullish momentum could sustain into 2H, supported by improving earnings, positive management guidance and robust order books amid the semiconductor upcycle, RHB IB analyst Lee Meng Horng says in a note. AI-led demand remains a key growth catalyst, with strong wafer fabrication equipment and automated test equipment demand benefiting equipment and engineering services players, he says. Lee expects to see greater upside among laggards and second-tier names where earnings recovery and operational improvements are not fully reflected in valuations. RHB maintains an overweight rating on Malaysian tech sector, pegging Malaysian Pacific Industries, Pentamaster, CTOS Digital, Coraza Integrated Technology and JHM Consolidation as top picks. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0124 GMT - SK Telecom's expanding artificial-intelligence data center business could support higher dividend payouts, say Hana Securities' Hong Seek Kim and Sanghun Lee. The analysts expect revenue from the South Korean telco's AIDCs could surge 10-fold to 5 trillion won by 2032, assuming capacity will jump to 1.5 gigawatts by then from 140 megawatts currently. The AIDC business could add about one trillion won to operating profit by 2032, potentially allowing the company to increase its dividend payouts by roughly 500 billion won, or up 67% from current levels, they add. Hana keeps a buy rating and 140,000-won target price for the stock. Shares are 1.0% lower at 91,500 won. (kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)

2239 GMT - Echo IQ's shares are likely to be sold off today after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't give clearance to its EchoSolv HF tool for detecting heart failure, says Petra Capital. The FDA issued a Not Substantially Equivalent determination. "This is a significant and relatively uncommon setback, although not necessarily terminal," analyst Tanushree Jain says. There are examples of companies ultimately gaining FDA clearance after addressing concerns. Still, it takes extended time and cost and carries elevated risk. "In Echo IQ's case we do not believe it will be a quick or a simple resolution either," says Petra Capital, downgrading the stock to "sell," from "hold." Echo IQ ended Tuesday at A$1.28.