On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished the week in a positive fashion. The benchmark index rose 0.5% to 8,903.9 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to edge lower
The Australian share market looks set for a subdued start to the week following a poor finish to the last one on Wall Street on Friday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 1 point lower. In the United States, the Dow Jones was down 0.15%, the S&P 500 fell 0.05%, and the Nasdaq edged 0.05% lower.
Oil prices rise
It could be a decent start to the week for ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) after oil prices pushed higher on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was up 0.4% to US$59.44 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was up 0.6% to US$64.13 a barrel. Traders were buying oil in response to multiple supply risks.
Buy Mader shares
Analysts at Bell Potter think investors should be buying Mader Group Ltd (ASX: MAD) shares. This morning, the broker has upgraded the specialised contract labour provider's shares to a buy rating with a price target of $9.00. It made the move on valuation grounds following a pullback. Bell Potter said: "We upgrade our Recommendation to Buy. The recent retracement in MAD's share price offers investors a more attractive risk-reward proposition, with 17.2% TSR implied by our $9.00/sh Target Price. We maintain the view that consensus expectations are conservative (FY26e NPAT of $67.6m; BPe $69.6m; NPAT guidance >$65.0m). Disclosure of MAD's next 5-year strategy represents a near-term catalyst."
Gold price drops
ASX 200 gold shares including Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a soft start to the week after the gold price dropped on Friday night. According to CNBC, the gold futures price was down 0.5% to US$4,601.1 an ounce. This was driven by a combination of profit-taking from traders and easing geopolitical risks.
Yancoal update
The Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) share price will be one to watch on Monday. That's because the coal miner is scheduled to release its fourth quarter update today. Management is guiding to 2025 saleable production of 35-39Mt with $89-$97 per tonne cash operating costs. During the third quarter, it was tracking towards the mid-point of both ranges.
