On Tuesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bounced back strongly and recorded an impressive gain. The benchmark index rose 1.1% to 6,588.5 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Wednesday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to storm higher.
The Australian share market looks set to storm higher on Wednesday after a positive night on global markets. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 48 points or 0.75% higher this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is up 0.95%, the S&P 500 is up 1.45%, and the Nasdaq has jumped 1.6%.
Tech shares on watch.
It looks set to be a good day for tech shares such as Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) on Wednesday. They have a tendency to follow the lead of their U.S. counterparts, which are surging higher on the tech-focused Nasdaq index at the time of writing.
Gold price jumps.
It could also be a very good day for gold miners including Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST). This follows an exceptionally strong night of trade for the precious metal. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 2.1% to US$1,818.50 an ounce. This was driven by U.S. dollar weakness caused by the announcement of a COVID stimulus package.
Oil prices sink lower.
Energy producers such as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a tough day after oil prices sank lower. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.9% to US$44.48 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has dropped 1.1% to US$47.35 a barrel. News that OPEC is delaying production cut talks is weighing on prices.
Westpac rated as a buy.
Goldman Sachs has retained its buy rating on the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price following its update on APRA's investigation into its risk governance. The broker notes that its price target of $20.34 takes into account regulatory uncertainty, hence no changes are being made today. Goldman is also forecasting a 4.8% dividend yield in FY 2021.
