On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) continued its positive run with another gain. The benchmark index rose 0.45% to 9,271.6 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to open flat
The Australian share market looks set for a subdued session on Friday following a poor night of trade in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open flat this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.9%, the S&P 500 is down 0.2%, and the Nasdaq is 0.1% lower.
Oil prices jump
ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a good finish to the week after oil prices jumped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 3.9% to US$78.12 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 4.9% to US$83.32 a barrel. This follows news that Iran has published a restrictive draft plan for the Strait of Hormuz.
Beach Energy shares given hold rating
Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) shares are a hold according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, in response to a mixed FY 2026 result, the broker has retained its hold rating and 95 cents price target on the energy producer's shares. It said: "BPT is focused on shifting from a production replacement cycle to building a longer term sustainable reserves position. The company is guiding to modest production growth in FY27 and relatively stable capex, enabling positive free cash flow and maintaining balance sheet strength for growth initiatives and potentially dividends. We are positive on BPT's exposure to Australian east coast gas markets (around half of sales volumes) and cautious with respect to global oil markets."
Gold price eases
ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) 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$4,295.8 an ounce. This may have been driven by profit taking after strong gains this week.
ASX 200 results
Another group of ASX 200 shares will be releasing their results this morning and will be worth watching. This includes James Hardie Industries PLC (ASX: JHX), Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK), and ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD). The latter is expected to report FY 2026 revenue of US$5.65 billion and earnings per share of US$11.12.
