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

1029 GMT - Publicis Groupe sounds highly confident in its outlook for 2027 as it is benefiting from new business tailwinds that might continue to expand, Bank of America analysts say in a research note. While the French advertising company hasn't yet given firm guidance for next year, 2027 is shaping up to be another solid year, the analysts say. The contribution from contract wins Publicis has already secured should boost its 2027 organic net revenue growth by two percentage points and its track record of market-share gains suggests this tailwind might get bigger, they add. Shares rise 0.9%. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)

1026 GMT - A greater proportion of investors think that companies aren't spending enough on dividends than at any time since December 2013, Bank of America's global fund manager survey for October says. A net 7% think that current dividend payout ratios--the percentage of profits a company pays out to shareholders--are too low, the survey finds. "Investors are demanding higher dividend payouts on the back of robust corporate earnings growth," the report says. Following a bumper second-quarter earnings season, a net 21% of fund managers expect corporate earnings to rise by 10% or more over the next 12 month.(josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

1021 GMT - Thales's cyber operations could become a key strategic asset for the French aerospace-and-defense company as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry, Bank of America analysts write in a note to clients. Thales's defense and aerospace businesses generally account for the lion's share of sales and orders, but analysts say its smaller cyber unit might play a bigger role and boost the stock in coming years. They say cyber's return to growth in the second quarter was encouraging and they expect improvements in the second half. "We think cyber could grow double digit medium term," they note. Thales shares trade 0.4% higher at 223.50 euros. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

1020 GMT - The Korean won and Taiwanese dollar are among Asia's worst-performing currencies as the benchmark Kospi and Taiex lead regional equity markets lower, weighed by a selloff in chip stocks. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 2.7% overnight. "In our view the dominant theme was a memory selloff," Saxo Bank says in a note. South Korean memory-chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix slumped 7.4% and 10%, respectively, dragging the Kospi down 5.5%. Taiwan's Taiex shed 1.9% as index heavyweight TSMC, the world's largest contract chip maker, lost 2.0%. The U.S. dollar rises 0.3% to 1,339 won, on track for its strongest daily gain in nearly two weeks, according to LSEG. The dollar climbs 0.7% to NT$32.15, on course for its biggest advance in more than seven months. (farah.elias@wsj.com)

1018 GMT - The dollar continues to be viewed as overvalued in October's Bank of America global fund manager survey. A net 36% of investors say the dollar is overvalued this month, compared to 37% a month ago. Meanwhile, a net 8% of investors say the euro is overvalued, compared to a net 3% saying it was undervalued in September. A net 3% think sterling is overvalued, down from 13% last month.(renae.dyer@wsj.com)

1018 GMT - LVMH's weak results at its key fashion and leather goods division could weigh on the sector, Citi's Thomas Chauvet says. The French luxury conglomerate reported organic revenue growth of 1% for the third quarter compared with the prior-year period. The core business posted a 5% drop in sales, below consensus estimates. As the first luxury company to report third-quarter results, LVMH's miss at its mainstay division is unlikely to improve investor sentiment toward soft luxury companies, which sell items like bags, apparel and shoes, the analyst writes in a research note. Shares fall 1.6%. (andrea.figueras@wsj.com)

1017 GMT - Inflation expectations have fallen this month to their lowest level since January 2025, Bank of America's global fund manager survey shows. A net 5% of investors in October expect lower global inflation in 12 months' time, compared to 4% in September. This reflects expectations that Brent crude prices will ease by year-end to $94 a barrel from $104 currently. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

1014 GMT - Investors have turned negative on the global growth outlook in October, according to Bank of America's latest global fund manager survey. A net 4% of investors now expect the economy to weaken over the next 12 months. That compares to a net 8% of investors expecting a stronger economy in the September survey. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

1011 GMT - LVMH reported underwhelming figures for the third quarter, analysts at BofA Global Research write in a note. The owner of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior said organic revenue for the period rose 1% on year to 18.50 billion euros. This was in line with consensus and BofA expectations. "Therefore, the underlying result whilst still weak, was not worse than feared," the analysts say. BofA expects the French company to report a 2% organic increase in revenue for 2026 as a whole. The stock trades 1.8% lower. (andrea.figueras@wsj.com)

1011 GMT - Investor sentiment pulled back to its least bullish level since June, according to Bank of America's global fund manager survey for October. Bank of America's sentiment gauge, measured by looking at investor allocations to cash and equities, as well as growth expectations, fell to 6.4 in October--down from 7.0 in September. Sentiment had been uber-bullish, the report says, as AI optimism spurred markets higher. Surveyed fund managers allocated 3.9% of their portfolios to cash in October, in line with September levels but above the 3.5% allocation seen in August. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

1004 GMT - Italian energy major Eni's refining margin tripled quarter-on-quarter and sets the scene for an extraordinary dividend, Jefferies analyst Mark Wilson writes. More than $900 million could be returned via the special dividend, which follows two buyback increases, he says. Shares are flat at 25.41 euros. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

1004 GMT - A hypothetical run on a global stablecoin could potentially spill over to the traditional financial system as the sectors become increasingly dependent on each other, an international body monitoring financial stability says. Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to the U.S. dollar or other currencies. Damage could spread via reserve-asset fire sales and banking deposit withdrawals to fund redemptions, as well as in foreign exchange markets where they are used for cross-border transactions, the Financial Stability Board wrote in an Oct. 12 report. "In stress, round-the-clock access to and the speed of trading on secondary markets may increase the potential speed and magnitude of sell offs, putting pressure on the stablecoin's peg if redemptions cannot keep up with demand," the FSB says.