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

0731 GMT - Medacta should continue to book above-market growth rates but market expectations currently underestimate growth normalization and the investment required to sustain expansion, Deutsche Bank says in a research note. "While Medacta's competitive advantages remain intact, sustaining its historical growth rates will become increasingly challenging as the business scales," Deutsche Bank says. The bank's 2028 organic sales, adjusted Ebitda and EPS estimates lie 3%, 6% and 9% below consensus, respectively. Deutsche Bank initiates the Swiss orthopedics company's stock at hold, with a target of 121 francs. Shares trade 1.9% lower at 113.20 francs. (sarah.sloat@wsj.com)

0730 GMT - Vodafone Group could benefit from several potential positive factors, Citi's Carl Murdock-Smith writes in a note. These include renewed investor enthusiasm following French billionaire Xavier Niel's investment--specifically if he were to increase his stake or seek board representation--as well as the possibility of an upgrade to short-term guidance, he says. "While some investors may be inclined to turn cautious following Vodafone's recent share price rally, we remain neutral rather than turning more defensive," he adds. However, some concerns remain related to the company's German segment, he says. Shares are down 0.3% at 1.30 pounds. (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)

0728 GMT - Thailand's near-term private investments could be weighed by regulatory uncertainty for data centers, Maybank Securities (Thailand) analyst Chak Reungsinpinya says in a report. The government has disclosed plans to overhaul approval processes for data center investments and paused the development of 166 new data centers. Data center applications received by the Board of Investment in 2Q have slowed significantly from the 1Q peak. Project applications, approvals and issuance in other sectors, including automotive and electronics, have been much more stable. However, they remain significantly smaller than data centers in terms of investment scale. "As such, while [data center] regulations remain unfinalized, we do not expect a material recovery in aggregate BOI figures," Maybank says.(amanda.lee@wsj.com)

0704 GMT - Bitcoin declines ahead of a crucial procedural vote in the Senate on proposed legislation that could offer regulatory clarity across digital assets. The U.S. Clarity Act provides a system for digital assets issuance, trading, and regulation. "U.S. regulatory clarity is improving for digital assets as concerns are considered in latest draft ahead of voting," HSBC's Amy Tyler and Ella Hewitt say in a note. Focus is also on the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision due on Wednesday, as a rate rise could boost the dollar and weaken dollar-alternative assets. Markets price a 93% chance of a rate increase at the policy meeting, LSEG data show. Bitcoin drops 2.1% to $77,384. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)

0703 GMT - The Bank of Japan's monetary policy is shifting from a stance of cautious normalization after years of ultra-loose policy, to a nimble, proactive response to data and market developments, HSBC's Frederic Neumann says in a note. The BOJ raised rates from early 2024 at a steady, monotonous pace, designed not to rattle markets after years of deflation, the chief Asia economist says. After raising its policy rate only in June, BOJ is expected to do so again later this week to 1.25%. BOJ officials could move yet again in the coming months, he says. As Japan leaves behind its deflation-plagued past, the Japanese yen has shown signs of stabilization and local yields are starting to look attractive, HSBC says. (kosaku.narioka@wsj.com; @kosakunarioka)

0700 GMT - Like-for-like grocery inflation in the U.K. accelerated to 2.3% for the four weeks to Sept. 6, up from 2.1% in the prior period, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. Though inflation rose modestly last month, it remained far below levels from earlier this year, said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail at the data provider. Meanwhile, there were 18 million fewer trips to the grocers than July's peak of 497 million visits, the report said. This shift was due to the return to school and work, according to the report. (aimee.look@wsj.com)

0657 GMT - Oil prices continue to rise early Tuesday as traders assess the impact of lost Saudi Arabian volumes after the attack on the country's East-West pipeline. In European trade, Brent rises 1.75% to $107.50 a barrel while WTI is up 1.8% at $103.17 a barrel. The true extent of the damage hasn't been confirmed and the immediate impact on oil markets depends on how much oil can be taken from storage at the Yanbu port facility, ANZ analysts write. The Kingdom is expected to ramp up shipments through the Strait of Hormuz but recorded traffic remains very low, they say. Buffers, such as oil stored on the water in large ships or on land in strategic reserves, are disappearing and further tightening immediate supplies.(adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

0657 GMT - The U.S. dollar rises as investors anticipate the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates on Wednesday amid elevated oil prices as the Middle East conflict worsens and strong U.S. inflation and jobs data. High oil prices exacerbate inflation concerns, causing yields to rise, additionally boosting the dollar as the U.S. is an oil exporter. "Monetary policy may not be well suited to offsetting the current supply shock, but there's a need to keep inflationary expectations dampened," says BNY's John Velis in a note. Money markets are pricing in a 93% chance of a Fed rate hike this week, LSEG data show. The DXY dollar index rises 0.3% to 99.683, having hit a one-month high of 99.736 on Monday. (jessica.fleetham@wsj.com)

0516 GMT - Asia remains the region with the weakest equity-positioning profile as new short-selling drives a deterioration in sentiment, Citi says in a note. Positioning in the S&P/ASX 200 weakened significantly, while Nikkei exposure remains deeply bearish and heavily profitable, reducing the prospect of immediate short-covering support. The Hang Seng has the region's most vulnerable long book, with majority of the longs underwater and increasingly exposed to capitulation risk. South Korea is the exception, as new risk flows improved Kospi positioning. However, with a large proportion of shorts still offside, a market rebound could trigger further squeeze-driven upside. (venkat.pr@wsj.com)

0500 GMT - RBC views plans to potentially remove bottlenecks at South32's Hermosa processing plant project as a key highlight from a site visit. An expansion to 5.0 million metric tons per annum from 4.3 million tons "would only involve modest capex" of roughly US$30 million, mainly relating to upgrading the pumps, according to RBC. "For us, another highlight is capex to potentially install a small copper circuit to process copper from the highly prospective Peake copper deposit" for around US$50 million, it says. RBC remains confident the Taylor development there is on track for first production in 2H FY28 from the decline, and 1H FY29 from the main shaft. It reiterates an outperform rating and A$5.50/share price target. The stock is down 1.3% at A$4.865.