On Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ran out of steam and edged lower. The benchmark index fell 0.1% to 7,527.1 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to fall
The Australian share market looks set to fall again on Thursday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 15 points or 0.2% lower this morning. This follows a mixed night of trade on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones fall 0.15%, the S&P 500 trade flat, and the Nasdaq rise 0.3%.
BHP shares go ex-dividend
The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is likely to trade sharply lower on Thursday. This is due to the mining giant's shares trading ex-dividend for its fully franked final dividend. BHP will then be paying eligible shareholders the 273.6 cents per share dividend later this month on 21 September.
Oil prices fall
Energy producers such as Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have an off day after oil prices fell overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$68.24 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 0.45% to US$71.30 a barrel. OPEC has revealed that it plans to stick to gradual output hikes.
Gold price softens
Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a subdued day after the gold price edged lower. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.1% to US$1,816.6 an ounce. The release of key economic data in the US appears to be weighing on the safe haven asset.
Other shares going ex-dividend
It isn't just BHP that is going ex-dividend today. A number of ASX 200 shares are also going to trade without the rights to upcoming dividends. This includes biotherapeutics giant CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), funeral company InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC), health insurer NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF), and retail giant Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).
