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

0531 GMT - UOB's 2025 guidance is likely to soften amid macroeconomic uncertainties stemming from U.S.' trade conflict with its trading partners, CGS International analysts say in a research report. These uncertainties may spur slower growth of loans and non-interest income at UOB compared with its prior guidance, the analysts say. UOB's credit costs could also trend higher in 2025 to reflect the potential of general-provisions recognition amid a deteriorating global economy. The brokerage cuts its 2025-2027 EPS forecasts for UOB by 3.7%-6.0%. It lowers the stock's target price to S$38.80 from S$43.00 with an unchanged add rating. Shares are 1.7% higher at S$35.39. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0422 GMT - Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, one of Japan's major life insurers, expects its Japanese bond holdings to drop by around 400 billion yen this fiscal year ending March 2026. This would match the size of reduction recorded in the just-ended business year, says Kenichiro Kitamura, who is in charge of Meiji Yasuda's investment planning. In the domestic bond market, the life insurer plans to continue focusing on 20- and 30-year Japanese government bonds, Kitamura says at a news conference announcing the company's asset-allocation strategy for the current fiscal year. The 30-year JGB yield could rise to around 3.5%, he adds, versus 2.71% at Friday's close. (megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com)

0310 GMT - TMBThanachart Bank faces earnings hit from potentially lower loan growth, Maybank Securities (Thailand)'s Jesada Techahusdin says in a research report. Given Thailand's weak economy, its loans are likely to contract 5% this year, owing to declines in corporate, small- and medium-sized enterprise, and hire-purchase loans, the analyst says. Companies have reduced capacity utilization and have to repay debts due to tariff uncertainties. The brokerage cuts its 2025-2026 earnings forecasts for the Thai bank by 7% to reflect assumptions for lower loan growth and net interest margin. It downgrades the stock's rating to hold from buy and lowers the target price to THB2.00 from THB2.10. Shares closed 3.6% lower at THB1.89 last Friday. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 21, 2025 04:20 ET (08:20 GMT)

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