On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was sold off and sank notably lower. The benchmark index fell 1.65% to 7,064.5 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to fall
The Australian share market looks set to end the week in the red following another poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 9 points or 0.1% lower this morning. In the US, the Dow Jones was down 0.75%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.6%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.25%.
Oil prices rise
Energy producers including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a good finish to the week after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.55% to US$111.30 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 2% to US$111.32 a barrel. In other news, Woodside shareholders have voted in favour of merging with the petroleum operations of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).
Healius update
The Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) share price will be on watch today. This morning the healthcare company is holding its strategy day. At the event, Healius is likely to provide an update on its performance during the second half of FY 2022. Investors will no doubt be keen to see how the shift to RAT testing has impacted its COVID testing volumes.
Gold price rises
Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a good finish to the week after the gold price rose overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 1.35% to US$1,840.1 an ounce. Traders were buying the precious metal after the US dollar and US bond yields retreated.
Aristocrat shares named as a buy
The team at Goldman Sachs believe the Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price remains good value following the gaming technology company's half-year update. According to a note, the broker has retained its buy rating and $43.00 price target. It said: "Stay Buy, noting >27% upside to our unchanged TP, balance sheet strength/optionality, capital management supporting the stock, strong operational momentum and valuation support."
