On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.3% to 8,830.4 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to fall
The Australian share market looks set to fall on Thursday following a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 14 points or 0.15% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones was down 0.5%, but the S&P 500 climbed 0.3% and the Nasdaq rose slightly.
Oil prices rise
ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session on Thursday after oil prices jumped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.8% to US$63.77 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.8% to US$67.61 a barrel. Traders were bidding oil prices higher after Israel attacked Doha in Qatar.
ASX 200 shares go ex-dividend
A number of ASX 200 shares are scheduled to go ex-dividend today and could trade lower. This includes appliance manufacturer Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG), media company Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC), fund manager Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT), and diversified investment company SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH). The latter is paying its eligible shareholders a fully franked 32 cents per share dividend on 10 October.
Gold price eases
It could be a subdued session for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Thursday after the gold price eased overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down slightly to US$3,681.6 an ounce. Traders appear to be waiting for US inflation data to be announced before making a move.
Buy Nufarm shares
Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) shares could be dirt cheap according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating and $3.55 price target on the agricultural chemicals company's shares. It said: "Our Buy rating is unchanged. Base demand in agricultural chemical markets looks to have remained robust through 3Q25 and active ingredient values appear to be turning the corner. The latter is expected to be beneficial as NUF is cycling the highs in terms of YOY pricing declines from the pcp. In addition, the recent closing of the Peruvian fishing season has put a floor in omega-3 pricing indicators, which have lifted US$100- 200/t off the low."
