On Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a decent session and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.2% to 9,250.6 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Wednesday? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 to fall
The Australian share market looks set for a tough session on Wednesday following a poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 37 points or 0.4% lower. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell 0.35%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.3%, and the Nasdaq tumbled 0.6%.
Oil prices rise
ASX 200 energy shares including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session on Wednesday after oil prices rose again overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.55% to US$83.40 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.6% to US$89.10 a barrel. Oil prices continue to rise amid doubts over a potential US-Iran deal for the Strait of Hormuz.
Buy Life360 shares
Bell Potter remains positive on Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360) shares following the release of the location technology company's quarterly update. Bell Potter has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $34.00 (from $35.00). It said: "We retain our BUY recommendation and note we expect the buyback to be more active this quarter after only modestly commencing last quarter."
Gold price edges higher
ASX 200 gold shares Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a reasonably positive session on Wednesday after the gold price edged higher. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.25% to US$4,429.8 an ounce. The gold price hit a two-month high ahead of US inflation data.
CBA FY 2026 results
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares will be on watch on Wednesday when the banking giant releases its FY 2026 results. According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts are expecting the company to report a 6.8% increase in cash profit to $10.95 billion. This is despite expectations for a 2 basis point decline in its net interest margin to 2.06%. A full-year fully franked dividend of $5.05 per share is expected.
