5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

Here's what to expect on the ASX 200 on Friday…

A male ASX 200 broker wearing a blue shirt and black tie holds one hand to his chin with the other arm crossed across his body as he watches stock prices on a digital screen while deep in thought

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On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back on form and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.2% to 7,135.7 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market looks set to end the week in the red. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 5 points or 0.1% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.15%, the S&P 500 has fallen 0.55%, and the Nasdaq has dropped 0.55%.

Oil prices tumble

Energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a difficult finish to the week after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 3.8% to US$82.30 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 2.4% to US$90.65 a barrel. Oil prices fell on concerns over Chinese demand.

Webjet remains a buy

The Webjet Ltd (ASX: WEB) share price remains great value according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. The broker was impressed with the online travel agent's first half results, which came in well ahead of expectations. Goldman commented: "WEB's 1H23 results reported a strong beat across both the Webbeds and Webjet OTA business, cementing our view that the business is structurally improved vs. pre-pandemic times." Its analysts have retained their buy rating with an improved price target of $6.90.

Gold price falls

Gold miners including Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a subdued end to the week after the gold price fell overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.65% to US$1,764 an ounce. Traders were selling gold after the US dollar and treasury yields strengthened.

Annual general meetings

There are a good number of annual general meetings being held on Friday. This includes infant formula company A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M), integrated real estate company Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC), infection prevention company Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN), and data centre operator NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT). These companies could provide trading updates at their respective events.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in NEXTDC Limited. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk and Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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