On Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form again and dropped into the red. The benchmark index fell 0.4% to 8,598.9 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Wednesday? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to fall
The Australian share market looks set to fall on Wednesday following another poor night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 13 points or 0.15% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.7%, the S&P 500 fell 0.4%, and the Nasdaq is down 0.15%.
Oil prices sink
ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a difficult session after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 2.7% to US$55.30 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 2.6% to US$58.96 a barrel. This was driven by Russia-Ukraine peace talk optimism and means oil prices are trading at their lowest levels since 2021.
Treasury Wine update
Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) shares will be on watch on Wednesday when the wine giant releases an update on its outlook. Earlier this week, it requested a trading halt until the update has been made. It said: "As disclosed to the market, TWE will hold an investor and analyst call on Wednesday, 17 December 2025. The Company is in the final stages of preparing for this update, which will include information regarding the Company's outlook."
Gold price edges higher
ASX 200 gold shares including Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch on Wednesday after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up slightly to US$4,337.5 an ounce. The precious metal rose in response to weak US economic data.
Buy Ausgold shares
The team at Bell Potter thinks that Ausgold Ltd (ASX: AUC) shares are being undervalued by the market. This morning, the broker has put a speculative buy rating and $1.70 price target on the gold developer's shares. It said: "AUC's management team has a demonstrated track record of advancing assets from exploration through development, positioning the company to unlock substantial value as the KGP [Katanning Gold Project] de-risks toward production."
