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.0714 GMT – Samsung Electronics’ valuation and stock price could get a boost from a coming announcement on shareholder returns, KB Securities analysts say. The South Korean tech giant’s annual shareholder returns are forecast to increase more than 10-fold, analysts led by Jeff Kim write in a note. Over the next three years, Samsung’s shareholder returns could reach 600 trillion won to 700 trillion won, they estimate. The company’s dividend yield could range from 7% to 15%, they reckon. They expect Samsung’s shares, which recently fell 49% from their recent peak, to regain ground, noting that historically, declines of more than 40% have marked the start of a mid- to long-term rebound. ([email protected])

0409 GMT – Pearl Abyss could post weaker-than-expected 2026 earnings, as sales of its new game, Crimson Desert, decelerate sharply, Nomura’s Angela Hong says. The analyst expects the South Korean online game developer to sell 7.8 million copies of the new title this year, down from her earlier estimate of 9.1 million. Hong notes sales surpassed 5 million in the first month after its release in March but dropped sharply in 2Q. Nomura cuts 2026-2027 EPS estimates for the company by 15%-16%, she says. Nomura downgrades its rating on the stock to neutral from buy and lowers its target price by 59% to 38,000 won. Shares fall 14% to 31,700 won. ([email protected])

0408 GMT – Optics is emerging as an increasingly important part of AI infrastructure, says Charu Chanana, Saxo Markets chief investment strategist. As AI clusters grow, more data needs to move quickly and efficiently between GPUs, servers, racks and data centers, she says in a research note. Optical interconnects transmit data using light and can provide the high bandwidth and energy efficiency increasingly required as AI networks scale, she says. Major industry players include China’s Zhongji Innolight and Eoptolink Technology and the U.S.’s Lumentum and Coherent. Chanana notes that U.S.-China geopolitical tensions could reshape the competitive landscape, potentially shifting demand toward non-Chinese suppliers such as Lumentum and Coherent. ([email protected])