On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form again and pushed slightly higher. The benchmark index rose 0.2% to 7,050.3 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to jump
The Australian share market is expected to have a strong session on Thursday after Wall Street charged higher. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 51 points or 0.7% higher this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up 1%, the S&P 500 has risen 1.45%, and the NASDAQ is up 1.85%.
Pilbara Minerals rated neutral
Analysts at Goldman Sachs continue to sit on the fence when it comes to Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares. Despite having a price target of $4.80, which implies over 20% upside, the broker has reiterated its neutral rating this morning. It commented: "We rate PLS a Neutral on: 1) Valuation at ~1.1x NAV (peer average ~1.1x), or pricing ~US$1,080/t, 2) Strong production growth of ~3x to FY26E, and 3) Growing cash balance supports further growth opportunities and capital management."
Oil prices fall
ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a subdued session after oil prices dropped on Wednesday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$72.90 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 0.5% to US$78.27 a barrel. Traders appear undecided over how tight supply levels are.
ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend
A number of ASX 200 shares are going ex-dividend on Thursday and could trade lower. This includes popular property companies such as Arena REIT (ASX: ARF), Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP), Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW), and Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW).
Gold price falls
ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a tough session after the gold price fell overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.5% to US$1,980.7 an ounce. Demand for safe haven assets weakened as equities charged higher.
