On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) continued its impressive run with another solid gain. The benchmark index rose 0.9% to 9,227.8 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 edge lower
It looks set to be a soft session for Australian investors on Thursday following a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 8 points or 0.1% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones rose 0.5%, but the S&P 500 fell 0.15% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.8%.
ASX 200 results releases
A number of ASX 200 shares will be releasing their results on Thursday. This includes payments giant Block Inc. (ASX: XYZ), financial services company AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP), media behemoth News Corp (ASX: NWS), and property listings leader REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA). With respect to the latter, Bell Potter expects REA Group to report group revenue of $1,808 million and adjusted NPAT of $626 million. This represents 8% and 11% growth, respectively.
Oil prices soften
ASX 200 energy shares Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a subdued session after oil prices softened overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.1% to US$74.92 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 0.2% to US$79.21 a barrel. Oil prices have come under significant pressure this week amid easing US-Iran tensions.
Buy Light & Wonder shares
Light & Wonder Inc. (ASX: LNW) shares could be seriously undervalued according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, in response to the gaming technology company's results release, the broker has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $183.00 (from $190.00). It said: "We retain Buy and reduce TP. We now forecast EBITDA growth of at the lower end of the company's guidance range. We see a resumption in top line growth occurring in 4Q26. We believe LNW offers compelling value at 10x EV/EBIT(A) given growth metrics."
Gold price jumps
It looks like it could be a great session for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Thursday after the gold price jumped overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 3.75% to US$4,308.5 an ounce. This was driven by a weaker US dollar.
