5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

It looks set to be a very good day for Aussie investors. Here's what you need to know.

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On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and sank into the red. The benchmark index fell 1.25% to 8,496.6 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

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ASX 200 expected to jump

The Australian share market looks set for a strong session on Thursday following a positive night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 113 points or 1.3% higher this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones was up 1.3%, the S&P 500 rose 1.1%, and the Nasdaq jumped 1.55%.

Nvidia results

The market will no doubt be focusing on the Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) results on Thursday. According to CNBC, it reported an 85% jump in revenue to US$81.62 billion, which was ahead of the consensus estimate of US$78.86 billion. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, said: "The buildout of AI factories — the largest infrastructure expansion in human history — is accelerating at extraordinary speed. Agentic AI has arrived, doing productive work, generating real value and scaling rapidly across companies and industries."

Oil prices sink

ASX 200 energy shares including Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a tough session on Thursday after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 5.5% to US$98.44 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 5.7% to US$104.97 a barrel. Traders were selling oil after Donald Trump said Iran peace talks are now in the final stages.

Buy Catapult shares

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) shares may have raced 18% higher on Wednesday, but Bell Potter doesn't believe the gains are over. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating on the sports technology company's shares with an improved price target of $4.65. In response to its FY 2026 results, Bell Potter said: "FY26 management EBITDA – the key earnings metric – of US$24.7m was 8% above our forecast of US$23.0m and 10% above consensus of US$22.4m. Notably, the guidance was 50% growth and it came in at 67%. The beat was driven by a 2% beat at revenue (US$140.7m vs BPe US$137.9m) and a 90bp beat at the margin (17.6% vs BPe 16.7%)."

Gold price rises

ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a positive session on Thursday after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.85% to US$4,549.4 an ounce. Easing oil prices and treasury yields gave the precious metal a boost.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Woodside Energy Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Catapult Sports and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Catapult Sports. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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