On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form and edged higher. The benchmark index rose 0.9% to 8,789.3 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 fall
It looks set to be a poor start to the month for Australian investors following a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 48 points or 0.55% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell 0.85%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.25%, but the Nasdaq rose 0.25%.
ASX 200 shares paying dividends
A number of ASX 200 shares are rewarding their shareholders with dividends on Thursday. This includes diversified food company Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA), appliance manufacturer Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG), drinks giant Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV), and job listings leader Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK). The latter is paying 25 cents per share to shareholders.
Oil prices rise
ASX 200 energy shares including Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a decent session after oil prices rose overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.1% to US$90.35 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.9% to US$103.50 a barrel. Doubts over US-Iran peace talks were behind the rise.
Buy Liontown shares
Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) shares are undervalued according to Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating on the lithium miner's shares with a trimmed price target of $1.70. It said: "LTR's EV is lagging the recent recovery in lithium markets and expected tight supplydemand fundamentals. When LTR was trading at its current EV in October 2025, SC6 prices were US$820/t and net debt was $274m. Since then, the Kathleen Valley underground ramp-up has been further de-risked and spot SC6 prices are above US$1,700/t. While we expect lithium markets will be volatile, market fundamentals remain strong. Over FY27, LTR will continue to ramp up and de-risk Kathleen Valley, a highly strategic asset in terms of scale, long project life and location in a tier-one mining jurisdiction."
Gold price edges higher
It could be a positive day for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Thursday after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.2% to US$4,189.5 an ounce. Cooler inflation data boosted the precious metal.
