On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished the week on a positive note. The benchmark index rose 0.3% to 7,220 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to rise again
The Australian share market is expected to have a strong start thanks to a stellar finish to last week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 64 points or 0.9% higher this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones rose 1.65%, S&P 500 climbed 1.85%, and NASDAQ pushed 2.25% higher. A strong result from Apple helped boost indices higher.
Westpac half-year results
The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price will be one to watch on Monday when the banking giant releases its half-year results. As with the other big four banks, strong earnings growth is expected during the half. Goldman Sachs is expecting cash earnings (before one-offs) to increase 22.2% to $3,781 million, which is a touch short of the consensus estimate of $3,788 million. The broker has also pencilled in a fully franked interim dividend of 72 cents per share.
Oil prices jump
It could be a great start to the week for ASX 200 energy shares such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices rebounded strongly on Friday. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was up 4.05% to US$71.34 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price rose 3.85% to US$75.30 a barrel. Oil prices rose after the release of strong economic data in the United States. Though, it wasn't enough to stop oil from recording its third successive weekly decline.
Gold price tumbles
ASX 200 gold shares including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a tough start to the week after the gold price tumbled on Friday night. According to CNBC, the spot gold price dropped 1.5% to $2,024.9 per ounce. Strong economic data appears to have sparked concerns over further rate hikes.
ANZ rated neutral
The team at Goldman Sachs continues to sit on the fence when it comes to ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares. In response to the release of the bank's half-year results, the broker has retained its neutral rating with a $26.17 price target. While it was impressed with the performance of its institutional business, it warned investors not to get carried away. The broker highlights that "previous cycles have shown us that ANZ's Institutional profitability can inflect suddenly."
