On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had another good day and stormed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.7% to 7,514.5 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to rise
The Australian share market looks set to edge higher on Thursday despite a poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 15 points or 0.2% higher this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.5%, the S&P 500 is down 0.9%, and the Nasdaq has tumbled 1.4%.
Ramsay rated as a buy
The Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) share price could be in the buy zone according to Goldman Sachs. This morning the broker retained its buy rating and $74.00 price target on the private hospital operator's shares. Goldman said: "With restrictions continuing to ease across all major markets, RHC is seeing a stronger, albeit uneven, volume development through 2H22 to date."
Oil prices rebound
It could be a good day for energy shares including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) after oil prices charged higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 3.25% to US$107.63 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 2.45% to US$112.92 a barrel. Tight supply and the prospect of new Russian sanctions boosted prices.
Shares going ex-dividend
The shares of auto retailer Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) and retail giant Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) are going ex-dividend this morning and are likely to trade lower. Eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving their fully franked dividends of 42.5 cents per share and 20 cents per share, respectively, on 20 April and 2 May.
Gold price rises
It could be a good day for gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 1% to US$1,937.4 an ounce. A weaker US dollar gave the precious metal a boost.
