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.

0815 GMT - MediaTek's broadened collaboration with Nvidia could attract more small and early custom artificial-intelligence chip customers, Bernstein analysts say in a research note. The deepened alliance between the companies positions MediaTek as "a bridge" between Nvidia and custom AI chip customers, they note. By adopting Nvidia's platform to assist customers in developing custom AI processors, clients can quickly scale from silicon to rack with the custom chips guaranteed to work seamlessly together with Nvidia's GPUs, they note. This should be particularly attractive to small and early custom-chip clients, who want to focus on silicon first and leverage the Nvidia platform to scale to system quickly, they add. MediaTek shares last ended 9.9% higher at 4,315 New Taiwan dollars. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0753 GMT - MediaTek becomes a much more credible custom artificial-intelligence chip contender after Nvidia's strategic investment, Citi analyst Laura Chen says in a research note. The deepening alliance between the two companies could turn MediaTek to one of the principal custom-silicon design platforms inside the broader Nvidia ecosystem, from a chip maker with a few large custom AI chip wins, Chen says. That could materially increase both the number and longevity of MediaTek's custom AI processor opportunities in the longer term, she notes. Meanwhile, the expanded collaboration with Nvidia now gives MediaTek AI growth opportunities in three areas: custom AI chips, AI PCs, as well as physical AI, she added. Shares last ended 9.9% higher at 4,315 New Taiwan dollars. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0709 GMT - MediaTek's custom AI-chip business could continue growing strongly beyond 2028, as its role in Google's AI-accelerator programs expands despite rising competition from other chip-design partners, J.P. Morgan says. The brokerage says concerns about MediaTek's position in Google's AI-chip supply chain are overdone, and expects the company to remain a key partner in future chip generations, supported by its capabilities in connectivity, interconnect technology and system-level design. J.P. Morgan raises its 2027 and 2028 earnings estimates for MediaTek and lifts its June 2027 price target to NT$5,600 from NT$5,300, citing stronger long-term growth prospects and operating leverage from the company's custom AI-chip business. (jie.yang@wsj.com)

0637 GMT - MediaTek's push into custom AI processors could accelerate after Nvidia's $3.5 billion investment, a move Counterpoint Research says aims as much to shape the future AI ecosystem as to deepen ties with a key partner. Nvidia's investment in MediaTek's convertible bonds is less a traditional partnership and more a strategic effort to help develop AI chips that work seamlessly with Nvidia's computing platforms, Counterpoint says. The deal could help Nvidia extend its influence beyond GPUs into the broader AI supply chain, while benefiting from MediaTek's growing relationships with major cloud companies including Google and Meta, the research firm adds.(jie.yang@wsj.com)

0626 GMT - AI-driven demand for storage used in cloud computing and AI systems is set to keep rising this quarter, supporting strong growth for NAND flash makers even as Chinese rivals expand output, according to TrendForce. The research firm says revenue for the world's top five suppliers of enterprise SSDs, the high-performance storage drives used in AI servers and data centers, more than doubled from the previous quarter in 2Q. Demand is expected to remain strong in 3Q, driven by wider adoption of generative AI services, continued cloud infrastructure spending and shipments of certain Nvidia AI server racks. Samsung remains the market leader, followed by SK Hynix and Micron, which posted the fastest growth among the top five suppliers, TrendForce says. (jie.yang@wsj.com)

0620 GMT - Sales forecasts for Xiaomi's Skynomad SUV line and the upcoming launch of the Xiaomi 18 smartphone should be catalysts for the stock in the near term, while third-quarter forecasts may be an overhang, Citi analysts write in a note. Xiaomi reported that August EV deliveries exceeded 30,000 units. Shipments so far this year total over 246,000 units, accounting for more than half of Citi's estimate of 450,000 units for 2026. Xiaomi held the soft launch for Skynomad in late July, while the official launch of the N70 and N90 SUVs will be within one or two weeks, Citi adds. (jiahui.huang@wsj.com; @ivy_jiahuihuang)

0510 GMT - Tencent has several key AI monetization pathways despite higher capital expenditure, Daiwa analyst John Choi says in a research note. AI is already helping improve user engagement, operating efficiency and monetization in its core gaming and ads businesses, while its AI productivity tools have seen increasing subscriptions, he says. Regarding Tencent's current valuation, Daiwa thinks investors are paying primarily for established core franchises given the limited scope for potential monetization for its agent AI tools. Also, in addition to cash generation from its operating businesses, Tencent has an investment portfolio of US$130 billion that provides financial flexibility, Daiwa adds. It notes that Tencent currently has no plans to undertake an equity issuance for additional funding. Shares are last at 442.60 Hong Kong dollars. (sherry.qin@wsj.com)

0410 GMT - MediaTek's expansion into system-level artificial-intelligence infrastructure could gain momentum through its deepened partnership with Nvidia, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says the companies' repeated references to "rack-scale" systems signal MediaTek's shift beyond chip design. By plugging custom chips and XPUs into Nvidia's established rack-scale ecosystem, MediaTek can accelerate deployment in AI factories and data centers without building a systems platform from scratch. The partnership also helps Nvidia extend its rack-scale ecosystem into the growing custom-silicon market through MediaTek's design expertise and customer base, creating new growth opportunities for both companies, Kuo adds. (jie.yang@wsj.com)

0409 GMT - Inari Amertron's FY2027 earnings recovery is expected to strengthen, driven by stronger radio-frequency production for the coming smartphone cycle and faster growth in its photonics business, says Kenanga IB analyst Cheow Ming Liang in a note. Management guided further upside from higher RF content per device, and new opportunities in optical communications components to increase its exposure to AI-related connectivity, he notes. Over the longer term, growth in photonics, advanced packaging and integrated module businesses could further diversify earnings, with newer businesses targeted to contribute about 40%-45% of Inari earnings by FY2028, he adds. Kenanga raises Inari's target price to 2.77 ringgit from 2.72 ringgit, while maintaining an outperform rating. Shares are 3.1% higher at 2.64 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0336 GMT - MediaTek's push into custom AI chips could gain momentum after Nvidia and Alphabet backed its $3.9 billion convertible bond sale, strengthening a partnership that Morgan Stanley analysts say may help the Taiwanese company win additional customers. Morgan Stanley says the deeper alliance strengthens MediaTek's position in AI infrastructure and could improve its chances of winning a second or even third cloud-service provider as a customer for its custom-chip business. That could provide upside to the company's long-term AI revenue outlook. The brokerage maintains its overweight rating on MediaTek and says the company could also benefit from a closer relationship with Alphabet on AI chip development. (jie.yang@wsj.com)

0237 GMT - Axiata associate XLSmart losses are expected to narrow further in 2H as accelerated depreciation tapers, Maybank IB analyst Tan Chi Wei says in a note. Axiata's holding-company losses are expected to remain volatile, but longer-term earnings recovery and balance-sheet repair could provide re-rating catalysts, he says. Assuming a 0.11 ringgit 2026 dividend, Axiata could offer a yield of about 6%, he adds. Maybank cuts Axiata's target price to 2.75 ringgit from 2.90 ringgit to reflect a lower valuation for associate CelcomDigi, while maintaining a buy rating. Shares are 3.3% lower at 1.76 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0112 GMT - New U.S. restrictions on Chinese power-grid equipment could worsen transformer shortages and complicate data-center expansion, according to a Wood Mackenzie report. The U.S. executive order could affect more than $22 billion of bulk-power equipment imports since 2025, with China accounting for nearly all impacted imports. The biggest impact is expected in transformers above 100 MVA, where demand has surged alongside data-center growth. The consultancy says uncertainty remains over whether data-center loads will fall under the order, with the Department of Energy expected to clarify implementation within 120 days.