On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard but ultimately fell short of recording a gain. The benchmark index fell 0.15% to 7,225.2 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to rebound
The Australian share market looks set to end the week in a positive fashion. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 61 points or 0.85% higher this morning. This follows a strong night of trade on Wall Street, which late on sees the Dow Jones up 2.1%, the S&P 500 up 1.7% and the Nasdaq up 0.9%.
CSL acquisition news
The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price will be on watch today amid reports the company is in talks to acquire Swiss-based Vifor Pharma for ~$10 billion. The biotherapeutics giant is expected to partly fund the deal with a $4 billion equity raising. Vifor Pharma is a leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies.
Oil prices rise
Energy producers including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could end the week strongly after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.8% to US$66.11 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.8% to US$69.41 a barrel. Oil prices rose despite OPEC revealing that it will continue to increase supply in January.
BHP to proceed with unification
The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price will be on watch today after announcing plans to proceed with its unification. The BHP Board believes unification is in the best interests of shareholders. It will result in a corporate structure that is simpler and more efficient, reduces duplication and streamlines BHP's governance and internal processes. This will see the BHP ASX listing become its primary listing.
Gold price falls
Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a difficult finish to the week after the gold price tumbled lower. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 1% to US$1,766.6 an ounce. The gold price fell after the US Federal Reserve's hawkish rhetoric dampened its appeal.
