On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and sank into the red. The benchmark index fell 1% to 9,038.2 points.
Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to rise
The Australian share market looks set for a positive session on Friday following a strong night of trade in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 11 points higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.2%, the S&P 500 rose 0.7%, and the Nasdaq jumped 1.55%.
Oil prices rise
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 rose overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.55% to US$83.51 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.9% to US$89.52 a barrel. This follows news that the White House has stated there are no US-Iran peace talks happening.
NextDC results
NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares will be on watch on Friday after the data centre operator released its FY 2026 results. The company reported a 16% increase in revenue to $405 million and a 15% lift in underlying EBITDA to $248.8 million. Both were ahead of management's guidance range for FY 2026. This was driven by a record 202% increase in contracted utilisation to 740.1MW.
Gold price edges higher
ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) could have a decent finish to the week after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.1% to US$4,657.6 an ounce. This may have been driven by easing interest rate hike expectations.
Sigma Healthcare upgraded
Chemist Warehouse owner Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) could be an ASX 200 share to buy according to Bell Potter. This morning, in response to its results, the broker has upgraded the company's shares to a buy rating with a $3.00 price target. It said: "The obvious overhang on the stock is the potential sell down by founders now that their 5.0bn share are out of escrow. Nevertheless the earnings outlook remains exceptionally strong with debt leverage falling and dividends likely to grow. Execution on the merger between the legacy Sigma and CWG appears to have been well executed by the highly skilled management team."
