On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week with a strong gain. The benchmark index rose 0.9% to 8,245.7 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to fall
The Australian share market is expected to fall on Tuesday following a poor start to the week in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 44 points or 0.5% lower. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.9%, the S&P 500 has dropped 0.9%, and the Nasdaq is 1.35% lower.
Buy Harvey Norman shares
The Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN) share price is still in the buy zone according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has responded to the retail giant's half year results by retaining its buy rating with an improved price target of $6.00. It said: "We see HVN trading attractively at ~15x on a 1-year forward basis with multiple catalysts near/midterm such as improving sales trends in key markets assisted by a sizable upside from the AI driven upgrade cycle/replacement & spend shift to tech, gaining penetration in targeted regions in the UK in addition to the incremental earnings opportunities in its Property division as Australia's largest single owner with a $4.4b global portfolio."
Oil prices tumble
It looks set to be a tough session for ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) after oil prices tumbled overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 2.1% to US$68.36 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 1.7% to US$71.58 a barrel. Demand concerns appear to be behind the declines.
Shares going ex-dividend
A number of ASX 200 shares are going ex-dividend this morning for their latest payouts and could trade lower. Among the companies that are trading ex-dividend are energy retailer Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG), realestate.com.au owner REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA), and engineering company Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR). In respect to Origin, it is rewarding its shareholders with a fully franked 30 cents per share dividend. This will be paid out later this month on 28 March.
Gold price jumps
ASX 200 gold miners Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a good session on Tuesday after the gold price jumped overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 1.8% to US$2,899 an ounce. This was driven by a weaker US dollar and tariff concerns.
