On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) finished the week on a positive note with a gain of 0.45% to 6,195.2 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to sink lower.
The Australian share market looks set to start the week on a disappointing note after German manufacturing data came in well below expectations and spooked global markets. According to the latest the SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open 0.8% or 50 points lower this morning. U.S. markets finished the week deep in the red, with the Dow Jones down 1.8%, the S&P 500 down 1.9%, and the Nasdaq down 2.5%.
Oil prices crash lower.
Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares are likely to come under pressure on Monday after oil prices crashed lower on Friday. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price dropped 1.6% to US$59.04 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price fell 1.2% to US$67.03 a barrel.
Tech shares likely to drop.
Australian tech shares Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX: APT) and Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) could tumble lower this morning after their U.S. counterparts finished the week on a very disappointing note. All the FAANG stocks traded lower on Friday, dragging the Nasdaq down by 2.5%. Amazon and Netflix were the worst performers in the group, falling 3% and 4.5% respectively.
Gold price rises.
Australian gold miners came under pressure at the end of last week when investors sold risk off assets. These declines are likely to be reversed on Monday after Friday's U.S. market selloff, which could be good news for the shareholders of the likes of Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST). The spot gold price rose 0.2% to US$1,311.85 per ounce.
Shares trading ex-dividend.
A number of popular shares are going ex-dividend this morning and are likely to trade even lower. These include food company Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA), hearing solutions company Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), and job listings company SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK).
