On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished the week in a disappointing fashion. The benchmark index fell 0.8% to 9,115.2 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to fall again
The Australian share market looks set for a weak start to the week following a poor session on Wall Street on Friday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 33 points or 0.35% lower. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%.
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 rose on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was up 1.4% to US$82.40 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was up 1.7% to US$88.52 a barrel. This follows reports that the US is threatening Iran with economic isolation.
Buy IPD Group shares
IPD Group Ltd (ASX: IPG) shares could be worth considering according to Bell Potter. In response to the electrical products distributor and services company's FY 2026 results, the broker has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $6.50 (from $6.20). Bell Potter said: "IPG is well positioned to continue delivering strong earnings growth from booming investment in the Data Centre construction, complementing robust revenue growth across the CMI and EX Engineering businesses. Conversion of advanced M&A opportunities represents upside to near-term consensus earnings expectations."
Gold price rises
It is likely to be a positive start to the week for ASX 200 gold shares including Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price rose on Friday night. According to CNBC, the gold futures price was up 0.4% to US$4,437.3 an ounce. Easing interest rate bets in the United States gave the gold price a big boost last week.
ASX 200 results
A number of ASX 200 shares will be on watch on Monday when they release their results. Among the names to watch are infant formula company A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M), steel manufacturer BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL), fintech company Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE), retail giant JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), and property developer Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC).
