5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

It looks set to be a tough day of trade for the ASX 200 index.

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On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ran out of steam and dropped into the red. The benchmark fell 0.35% to 7,253.2 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

A female stockbroker reviews share price performance in her office with the city shown in the background through her windows

Image source: Getty Images

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market is expected to have another poor session on Thursday after a disappointing night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 35 points or 0.5% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell 0.4%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.2% and the NASDAQ tumbled 0.2%.

Nufarm rated as a buy

Bell Potter says that Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) shares are great value at the current level. This morning, the broker retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $7.20. This implies almost 40% upside from current levels. It commented: "We can see a pathway to NUF reaching its FY26e revenue targets through the omega3 and carinata opportunities and continued over indexing in ag-chem"

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session after oil prices rose on Wednesday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 3% to US$71.92 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.5% to US$76.65 a barrel. Strong holiday demand in the US boosted prices.

Mining giants fall

It looks like it could be a poor session for mining giants BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) on Thursday despite a modest 0.7% rise in the benchmark iron ore price to US$109.55 a tonne. That's because, on Wall Street, their US-listed shares dropped almost 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively.

Gold price lower

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a subdued session after the gold price dropped overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.3% to US$1,923.8 an ounce. This follows a rise in the US dollar and bond yields after the US Fed meeting minutes were released.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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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