On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard to carve out a small gain. The benchmark index rose 0.15% to 8,409.8 points.
Will the market 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 fall on Friday despite a good night in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 22 points or 0.25% lower this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.3%, the S&P 500 rose 0.4%, and the Nasdaq pushed 0.4% higher.
Oil prices tumble
ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) could have a poor finish to the week after oil prices tumbled overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.4% to US$60.96 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 1.1% to US$64.22 a barrel. News that Trump's trade tariffs have been reinstated following an appeal put pressure on oil prices.
Buy Champion Iron shares
The Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) share price could be in the buy zone according to analysts at Bell Potter. In response to the release of its full year results, the broker has retained its buy rating on the iron ore miner's shares with a trimmed price target of $5.80. It said: "While current geopolitics has shifted the focus away from carbon emissions, we ultimately expect government policy in CIA's target markets (EU) and the growth in DRI steel production to be supportive. We expect earnings to continue to support dividends."
Gold price rises
ASX 200 gold shares such as Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a decent finish to the week after the gold price rose overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.6% to US$3,314.6 an ounce. Safe haven demand amid trade tariff uncertainty appears to have been behind this rise.
Select Harvests shares rated as a buy
Select Harvests Ltd (ASX: SHV) shares are a buy according to the team at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating on the almond producer's shares with an improved price target of $6.05. In response to its half year results, the broker said: "Our Buy rating is unchanged. FY25e crop earnings look broadly consistent with our expectations and should benefit in FY26e from improved production volumes and elevated almond prices."
