The latest Market Talks covering Financial Services. Exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

0702 GMT - China's official manufacturing PMI likely rose to 49.5 in August from 49.2 in July, according to a poll of 10 economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. The reading would mark the second consecutive month that the gauge has remained in contraction territory, as heavy summer rains exacerbated the seasonal slowdown in manufacturing activity. China's statistics bureau is due to release the data on Monday. (singaporeeditors@dowjones.com)

0655 GMT - China Citic Bank's earnings growth could remain on the high end among peers, say DBS Group Research analysts in a note. The lender's earnings are forecast to grow 3%-5% on year over 2026-2028, with its net interest margin trend likely to stabilize, they say. Its asset quality appears to be stable, while retail loans remain a key risk to watch due to macroeconomic uncertainty, they add. The analysts also reckon the bank's 2027 dividend yield of around 6% is attractive compared with peers. DBS raises its target price for the lender's Hong Kong-listed shares to 9.10 Hong Kong dollars from HK$8.30 and reiterates its buy rating. Shares gain 1.4% to HK$8.295. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0640 GMT - Prudential PLC increasing its share buyback program by a further $300 million appears to be a pleasant surprise to DBS Research's Ken Shih. The move is supported by a partial stake sale in the insurer's joint venture with ICICI Bank. Prudential PLC's interim dividend rose 15% on year, which slightly beat the analyst's expectations. This demonstrates its strong commitment to continuously enhance its shareholder value and returns, Shih says in a note. Still, short-term interest rate volatility weighed on the insurer's 1H IFRS-adjusted net profit, prompting the analyst to reduce his 2026-2027 projections by 10%-18%. DBS maintains its buy rating and 138.00 Hong Kong dollar target price. Shares decline 1.65% to HK$107.20. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

0639 GMT - Accelerating service prices in Tokyo signal growing momentum that could drive broader Japanese inflation well past the Bank of Japan's target, says JPMorgan economist Takuho Morimoto. Tokyo service prices rose 1.4% in August from a year earlier, government data showed Friday. However, excluding nursery fee subsidies, underlying service inflation reached 2.3%, Morimoto estimates. Medical costs and rents--historically kept low by administrative pricing and measurement lags--are now moving toward or above 2%, he says. "It would reinforce the view that underlying inflation momentum is turning higher and underscore the risk that inflation could overshoot the [BOJ's] 2% target by a meaningful margin."(megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com)

0235 GMT - The Singapore dollar consolidates against its U.S. counterpart in the Asia session ahead of Fed Chair Warsh's speech at Jackson Hole later today. "Uncertainty over the Fed's reaction function and concerns that policymakers may be placing less emphasis on inflation control have increased market focus" on Warsh's comments, two strategists at OCBC Group Research say. "The USD could find support if Warsh and other Fed officials push back against currency debasement concerns and reaffirm their commitment to returning inflation to the 2% target," the strategists add. The U.S. dollar is little changed at 1.2706 Singapore dollars, LSEG data show. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0112 GMT - Malayan Banking's net interest margin could remain under pressure in 2H on intensifying deposit competition and higher funding costs in Malaysia, as well as unfavorable asset-liability repricing in Singapore and Indonesia, Hong Leong IB analyst Raymond Ng says in a note. Additional funding for the Ageas acquisition could add further pressure, although improving loan momentum should provide some offset, he says. Fee income is expected to remain supported by wealth and investment banking, while a recovery in global markets could ease the 1H drag. Higher technology spending may keep costs elevated, while rising gross impaired loans across auto, mortgages and small and medium-size enterprises warrant monitoring, he adds. Hong Leong maintains a hold rating on Maybank and keeps its target price at 11.10 ringgit. Shares are 0.8% higher at 10.70 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

0110 GMT - Malayan Banking's 2H will serve as a critical window to execute strategic pillars to bridge the ROE gap, after 1H ROE of 11.6% undershot its above 11.8% target, CIMB Securities analyst Ei Leen Tan says in a note. Execution should focus on defending net interest margin within the 2.05%-2.10% guided range, rebuilding noninterest income, containing asset-quality deterioration and keeping the cost-to-income ratio around 49%, while optimizing capital and risk-weighted assets, she says. 2H delivery will be needed to demonstrate that the 1H earnings weakness was cyclical rather than structural and restore confidence in its 13%-14% ROE ambition under its five-year plan, she adds. CIMB maintains its hold rating on Maybank and keeps target price at 10.50 ringgit. Shares are 0.8% higher at 10.70 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

1820 GMT - Alternative lender EQB's core ran into challenges during a "noisy" F3Q that included one month of recently acquired PC Financial earnings, according to Scotiabank's Mike Rizvanovic. The analyst says "credit losses jumped in most parts of the book, including residential mortgages, and GILs [gross impaired loans] increased across the board." He also notes that fee-based revenue came in weaker than expected, and loan volumes outside of credit card balances were roughly flat. Not all was amiss, however. Rizvanovic points to net interest margin, excluding the PC Financial acquisition, that was stable sequentially, while retail deposit growth improved by 8% thanks to a pick-up in demand deposits. EQB falls 9.7% to C$124.50. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)

1706 GMT - New listings rose 0.4% from a week earlier during the four weeks ending Aug. 23, Redfin says. That's their highest level since April. The total number of homes for sale rose 0.5% week over week, hitting their highest level since May. Pending home sales slipped 1.1% from a week earlier. Would-be buyers are sitting on the sidelines largely because housing costs are high. The median U.S. home-sale price rose 1.9% year over year to over $400,000, and the weekly average mortgage rate is 6.65%, down from a peak of 6.69% two weeks earlier. With inventory rising and demand declining, the homebuyers who are in the market could get a deal. Buyers may be able to negotiate prices down and/or get concessions.(chris.wack@wsj.com)

1642 GMT - Travelers aren't being deterred by rising travel prices, Chase Travel Chief Executive Jason Wynn says on CNBC. Labor day bookings are up 17%, despite average hotel and airfares both rising by double-digit percentages compared to last year, Wynn says. Average hotel rates are now more than $500 and average flights are more than $1,000, he says. People across income brackets are still traveling, but many are altering their behaviors to make vacations fit into their budget, Wynn says. One thing all the income brackets have in common: "Everyone's looking for value," he says. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)

1635 GMT - Toronto-Dominion Bank is looking to build on 3Q momentum in its U.S. operations with plans to open 100 new branches in the country, Chief Executive Raymond Chun tells analysts. This will expand the Canadian lender's footprint from Maine to Florida in a push expected to be completed by the end of calendar 2028. Chun says work ongoing at TD to identify additional opportunities through 2030 as the bank continues to invest in organic growth. "We're also leaning in to increase the number of bankers, both in our retail businesses, but as well as in our commercial banking businesses," he says.(robb.stewart@wsj.com)

1459 GMT - Regional credit managers are taking a larger role in the U.A.E.'s private-credit market as some international providers become more selective about deploying capital, international law firm Eversheds Sutherland says. Foreign lenders remain willing to fund high-quality borrowers but are placing greater emphasis on credit quality and pricing, creating opportunities for local managers with growing pools of regional capital, the firm says. Fund finance is also emerging as a growth area as more funds establish themselves in the Dubai International Financial Center and Abu Dhabi Global Market, with U.A.E. institutions playing an increasingly prominent role in net asset value facilities.