On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a poor session and dropped into the red. The benchmark index fell 0.3% to 8,805 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:
Image Source: Getty Images
ASX 200 expected to charge higher
The Australian share market looks set to charge higher on Friday following a strong night in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 46 points or 0.5% higher this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is up 1.4%, the S&P 500 is 0.8% higher, and the Nasdaq is rising 0.7%.
Oil prices tumble
It could be a poor finish to the week for ASX 200 energy shares including 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 1.7% to US$62.57 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 1.5% to US$66.52 a barrel. This was driven by oversupply concerns and weak demand in the United States.
ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend
More ASX 200 shares are due to go ex-dividend this morning and could trade lower. Among them are auto listings leader CAR Group Limited (ASX: CAR), waste management company Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY), and logistics solutions software company WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC). The latter will be paying eligible shareholders a fully franked 11.9 cents per share final dividend next month on 10 October.
Gold price slips
ASX 200 gold shares such as Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a subdued finish to the week after the gold price eased overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 0.2% to US$3,674 an ounce. This was despite the release of US economic data that was supportive of rate cut bets.
Buy Select Harvests shares
Select Harvests Ltd (ASX: SHV) shares are good value at current levels according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating on the almond producer's shares with an improved price target of $5.45. It said: "Buy rating is unchanged. Volatility in almond pricing has been a feature since May'25. However, the long-term under development of orchards in California implies a period of limited supply expansion potential, which we view as a positive for the direction of future almond pricing trends. Trading at ~7% discount to market NAV, ~5.9x FY26e "spot price" EBITDA and ~9.3x FY26e "spot price" PER (@29kt production), valuation is undemanding, particularly if pricing continues to firm."
