On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form and finished the week on a positive note. The benchmark index rose 0.9% to 7,320.1 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to edge lower
The Australian share market looks set to start the week on a subdued note. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 4 points or 0.05% lower this morning. This follows a soft end to the week on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones edge slightly lower, the S&P 500 fall 0.2%, and the Nasdaq drop 0.5%.
Oil prices rise
Energy producers such as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a solid start to the week after oil prices rose on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.05% to US$79.35 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 1.2% to US$82.39 a barrel. Prices rose 3.9% and 4.6%, respectively, over the five days amid supply concerns.
PointsBet named as a buy
The Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price could be in the buy zone according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. This morning the broker retained its buy rating and $14.75 price target on the sports betting and iGaming provider. Goldman was recently at a conference in Las Vegas where the management teams of PointsBet and other gaming companies were attending. It notes that the companies reported stronger near-term top-line trends in online even as challenging comparisons are lapped.
Gold price edges lower
Gold miners Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch after the gold price edged lower on Friday night. According to CNBC, the spot gold price fell 0.1% to US$1,757.40 an ounce. The precious metal hit a two-week high at one stage after US jobs data fell short of expectations.
Iron ore prices charge higher
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) shares could have a good day after the spot iron ore price strengthened. According to Metal Bulletin, the benchmark iron ore price jumped 5.4% to US$123.38 a tonne on Friday night.
