Will the market be able to bounce back on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 set to edge higher

The Australian share market looks set for a subdued session on Tuesday following a poor start to the week in the US. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 1 point higher. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is up a fraction, but the S&P 500 is down 0.5% and the Nasdaq is 0.9% lower.

Oil prices jump

It could be a good session for ASX 200 energy shares such as Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices jumped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 4.35% to US$103.96 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.25% to US$113.98 a barrel. This leaves oil prices on track to post a record monthly surge.

Shares going ex-dividend

A number of ASX shares are going ex-dividend this morning and could trade lower. This includes Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW), GenusPlus Group Ltd (ASX: GNP), Maas Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: MGH), and New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC). The latter will be paying its shareholders a 10 cents per share fully franked dividend next month on 20 April.

Gold price edges higher

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) could have a relatively positive session on Tuesday after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.1% to US$4,494.7 an ounce. This was driven by increased demand for safe haven assets.

Strike Energy named as a buy

The team at Bell Potter has named Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) shares as a speculative buy with a 15 cents price target. This implies potential upside of over 40% for investors from current levels. It said: "STX announced that the Western Australian Economic Regulation Authority had finalised its determination for the Benchmark Reserve Capacity Price for the 2028/29 capacity year at $488,500/MW per year which could support revenues of around $42m from the South Erregulla project, before electricity sales."

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are falling:

Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW)

The Cromwell Property Group share price is down 2.5% to 36.5 cents. This follows the release of an update on the Barton development project. According to the release, the anticipated total cost of the development is $201 million. This includes land, construction costs, fees, finance costs, and a tenant incentive, which it notes is commensurate with the market and to be taken in instalments during the delivery of the project. The projected yield on cost for the development is expected to be greater than 6.3%.

Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS)

The Metcash share price is down almost 3% to $3.91. This has been driven by the wholesale distributor's shares going ex-dividend this morning. Last month, Metcash released its full year results and reported a 10.1% increase in statutory profit after tax to $283.3 million. This allowed the company's board to declare a fully franked final dividend of 9.5 cents per share. Eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving this payout late next month on 27 August.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is down 2.5% to $1.61. Investors have been selling this lithium miner's shares despite there being no news out of it. However, it is worth noting that its shares have been on fire in recent weeks, so this could mean that some investors are taking a bit of profit off the table today. Despite today's decline, Pilbara Minerals shares are still up 23% since this time last month. Though, they remain down a disappointing 46% over the past 12 months due to weak lithium prices.

Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR)

The Tyro Payments share price is down 5% to 87.2 cents. This may have been driven by news that the RBA is looking to scrap card surcharges. This morning, the central bank noted that it has reached the preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to "remove surcharging on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa cards." It then highlights: "Removing surcharging would make card payments simpler, more transparent and help to increase competition in the card payments system."

The post Why Cromwell Property, Metcash, Pilbara Minerals, and Tyro shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they are rising:

Australian Ethical Investment Ltd (ASX: AEF)

The Australian Ethical share price is up 5% to $4.62. This follows news that the investment company has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the sustainable fixed income asset management business, Altius Asset Management, from Australian Unity. Once complete, it will see Australian Ethical grow its funds under management (FUM) from $10.3 billion to $12.3 billion. This will be an increase of 19%. Management highlights that the proposed acquisition is consistent with its strategy to serve the growing potential addressable market created by the structural drivers favouring responsible investing.

Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW)

The Cromwell Property Group share price is up over 7% to 46.7 cents. This morning, the property company announced that it has agreed to sell its European fund management platform and interests to Stoneweg for $457 million. Management notes that the transaction continues the company's strategy to simplify the business and transition to a capital light fund management model. It also allows Cromwell to focus on its core competencies in Australia and New Zealand.

Smartpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: SMP)

The Smartpay share price is up 10% to $1.22. This follows news that the payments company has signed a contract with Cuscal Payments NZ. The contract will see Cuscal provide payment processing services to support Smartpay provide acquiring services in New Zealand. CEO Marty Pomeroy said: "This is a significant milestone in Smartpay's ongoing partnership with Cuscal and the journey to becoming a trans-tasman instore payments provider, and realising a transformational opportunity for our organisation."

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

The Xero share price is up 9% to $135.07. Investors have been buying the cloud accounting platform provider's shares following the release of its FY 2024 results. Xero reported a 22% increase in operating revenue to NZ$1.71 billion for the 12 months. This was underpinned by a 419,000 increase in subscribers to 4.16 million and a 14% lift in average revenue per user to NZ$39.29. On the bottom line, the company swung from a loss of NZ$133.5 million to a sizeable profit of NZ$174.6 million. Xero CEO, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, said: "This result shows we're doing what we said we'd do. We've delivered a strong and profitable FY24 result and Rule of 40 outcome, demonstrating our commitment to balancing growth and profitability."

The post Why Australian Ethical, Cromwell Property, Smartpay, and Xero shares are surging appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they are rising:

Calidus Resources Ltd (ASX: CAI)

The Calidus Resources share price is up 14% to 20.5 cents. This follows news that Calidus has agreed to acquire the Nullagine Gold Project in the Pilbara from Novo Resources (ASX: NVO). Calidus has also agreed to licence the use of the Nullagine camp infrastructure to Atlas Iron. Management believes it is "an outstanding deal which will deliver substantial benefits to Calidus in terms of production and its cash position."

Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW)

The Cromwell Property share price is up 4% to 42.7 cents. This morning, the property company announced its next quarterly distribution. It will be paying shareholders 0.75 cents per share in February, with its shares trading ex-dividend for this next week on 28 December. This equates to a distribution yield of 1.75%.

Integrated Research Limited (ASX: IRI)

The Integrated Research share price is up 14% to 36 cents. This afternoon, this performance management and analytics provider announced the signing of a significant new contract with Fiserv Inc. (NYSE: FI). According to the release, the five-year contract has a total contract value of US$6.6 million (A$10.1 million).

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)

The WA1 Resources share price is up 26% to $12.27. This appears to have been driven by an update from the niobium explorer yesterday which revealed further strong results from drilling at the 100% owned West Arunta Project in Western Australia. Management noted that assay results from the P2 discovery confirm the potential for a large mineralised carbonatite system to be present.

The post Why Calidus, Cromwell Property, Integrated Research, and WA1 shares are pushing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This latest update reveals that there will be three ASX shares kicked out of the benchmark ASX 200 index later this month.

Let's now take a look at which shares are being removed and then what will be replacing them.

Which ASX 200 shares are leaving the ASX 200?

The ASX 200 shares that have been kicked out are property companies Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW) Growthpoint Properties Australia Ltd (ASX: GOZ), and administration services company Link Administration Holdings Ltd (ASX: LNK).

Over the last 12 months, their shares have fallen 40%, 28%, and 61%, respectively. This has dragged their market capitalisations to a level that means there are now more suitable options for ASX 200 index inclusion.

The bad news for the evicted ASX 200 shares is that selling pressure could now increase. That's because index funds that track the ASX 200 will be forced to sell their shares. In addition, fund managers that have strict investment mandates may have to sell if they aren't permitted to invest outside the benchmark index.

What are the new additions?

Joining the ASX 200 index on 18 December will be uranium developer Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE), mortgage insurer Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI), formerly known as Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia, and fleet management and salary packaging company Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ).

Their shares are up 78%, 51%, and 70%, respectively, over the last 12 months.

And, in contrast to the three companies that have been kicked out, they could experience an increase in demand for their shares as index funds buy shares and they become available to fund managers with the aforementioned investment mandates.

The post Quarterly rebalance: These shares are joining the ASX 200 index. What's being kicked out? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Over the period, the benchmark index rose 4.5% to finish the period at 7,087.3 points.

While most ASX 200 shares climbed with the market, some stood out with particularly strong gains. Here's why these were the best performers on the index last month:

Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)

The Block share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 index in November with a stunning 59% gain. This was driven largely by a stronger-than-expected quarterly update from the payments company early in the month. Block's third-quarter update revealed a 24% increase in revenue to US$5.62 billion and a 21% lift in gross profit to US$1.9 billion for the three months.

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU)

The Neuren Pharmaceuticals share price wasn't too far behind with a very strong 45% gain in November. This was driven by the release of a sales up for its Daybue product. Neuren advised that its partner Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD) delivered Q3 Daybue net sales in the United States of US$66.9 million. It also provided guidance for net sales in Q4 2023 of between US$80 million and US$87.5 million. This means that Neuren expects to receive royalties of A$10.4 million for Q3 and A$12.5 million to A$13.7 million for Q4.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price was on form last month and raced almost 41% higher. This was driven by bargain hunters picking up the ASX 200 financial technology company's shares following a huge decline in the prior months. In addition, on the final day of November, its shares jumped 15% in response to a strategy update and a guidance upgrade.

Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW)

The Cromwell Property share price caught the eye in November with a gain of 38%. This appears to have been driven by bargain hunters buying ASX 200 real estate shares after heavy declines in the sector earlier in the year. This led to the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) rising almost 11% last month. The index remains down 5% on a 12-month basis.

The post These were the best performers on the ASX 200 in November appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

ASX property shares came out on top with a 3.98% gain vs. ASX technology shares at 3.92%.

Overall, seven of the 11 market sectors finished the week higher. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gained 1.16% over the past five trading days to close at 7,049.4 points on Friday.

Let's review the week.

Real estate led the ASX sectors this week

Both the real estate and technology sectors were significantly buoyed by United States inflation data released on Tuesday evening Australian time.

Headline US inflation declined to 3.2% for the 12 months to October, down from 3.7% over the past two months. Core inflation (which excludes volatile items) came in at its lowest level in two years at 4%.

These numbers could signal the end of interest rate rises in the world's biggest economy.

Some of the sector's rapid risers this week were Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW) shares, up 18.4%, Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) shares, up 15.1%, Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC) shares, up 9.2%, and Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) shares, up 7.9%.

Centuria held its annual general meeting today, where joint CEO John McBain discussed the impact of higher interest rates and rising bond yields in 2023.

McBain said:

Bond yields have risen to levels not experienced in 15 years and all these factors have led to increased volatility across the wider ASX 200 real estate indices and challenging conditions for all companies.

Bell Potter recently initiated coverage on a bunch of ASX REIT stocks. The broker has a buy rating on Centuria Capital shares with a 12-month price target of $1.55. Centuria closed at $1.41 on Friday.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up this week, according to CommSec data.

Over the past five days:

The post Here's how the ASX 200 market sectors stacked up this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Despite sliding 1.5% in intraday trade today, the benchmark index is still up a slender 0.3% year to date. And that figure doesn't include the dividends many of these companies have paid out.

While a few ASX 200 shares have roughly doubled in value this year, others have gone decidedly the other way.

Below we look at the three worst performers (as of the opening bell on 3 January and excluding any dividends) and ponder whether now may be an opportune time to buy some shares.

The second and third worst performers of 2023

The third worst performer is Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE), which designs and develops software and services for the financial services industry. The Iress share price is down 42.3% year to date.

The ASX 200 share was in positive territory for the year, even paying a final dividend in February, right up until the company delivered its half-year results on 21 August. This saw the stock tank by 35.5% on the day after reporting a net loss after tax of $140 million, suspending its interim dividend, and downgrading its FY 2023 guidance.

Unfortunately, shares have continued their downward trend since then, dropping another 12.4% as of 22 August.

The low might be approaching following this savage sell-off.

Indeed, management said it expected the company's cost reduction program and a review of pricing to be recognised in FY 2024. Still, I'd steer clear of this tech stock until it begins to show signs of a sustained recovery.

Which brings us to the second worst-performing ASX 200 share of 2023, Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW).

Shares in the Australian real estate investment trust (REIT) and fund manager have crumbled 45.2% this calendar year to 37.2 cents per share. Cromwell has also paid out 3.6 cents in dividends.

Aside from the potential allure of that passive income – Cromwell shares trade on a trailing yield of 9.4% — buying this stock today could also still be akin to catching that falling knife.

With Cromwell shares remaining in a downtrend (down 12.8% over the past month), this may be one to keep on that rebound watchlist for now.

The worst-performing ASX 200 share to hold so far in 2023

The ignominious honour of worst performing ASX 200 share goes to The Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR).

Shares in the casino owner and operator are down a precipitous 61.3% in 2023.

The company has been struggling for some time now, and this year brought new pain.

Among that, both New South Wales and Queensland launched inquiries, alleging Star was not living up to its obligations to prevent money laundering and mitigate problem gambling at its casinos. Star has since paid $100 million in fines.

The ASX 200 share also came under pressure when it announced a $750 million capital raising at 60 cents per share on 27 September, a massive discount to the share price the prior trading day. The Star Entertainment share price crashed 15.3% on the day.

A number of analysts came out with buy recommendations in September. And as of 6 October, CommSec has consensus analyst recommendations as a 'strong buy', with six analysts at a 'strong buy' and two at a 'moderate buy'.

However, with more potential interest rate hikes ahead and inflation yet to be tamed, I'm concerned that many Aussies will be spending their money on more pressing needs than gambling over the shorter term.

And with the ASX 200 share down 22.8% over the past month alone, this is another stock investors might be better off putting on their watchlist until it begins to demonstrate a sustainable turnaround.

The post Is it time to buy the 3 worst performing ASX 200 shares of the year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Below, we look at three quality stocks trading at yields of more than 11%. Two of these companies pay fully franked dividends, which can be quite useful come tax time.

Before we dive into the ASX dividend shares in question, do note that the yields you generally see quoted – and those we discuss below – are trailing yields. These are based on the dividends paid (or declared) over the past 12 months. Future yields may be higher or lower, depending on a range of company-specific and macroeconomic factors.

With that said…

Three ASX dividend shares offering juicy yields

The first quality ASX dividend share is All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) department store operator Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR).

Myer paid a final dividend of 2.5 cents per share on 7 November. The retailer paid an interim dividend of 8 cents per share on 11 May. That comes out to a full-year dividend payout of 10.5 cents per share, fully franked.

At the current Myer share price of 67 cents, that equates to a trailing yield of 15.7%.

Take that, inflation!

The Myer share price is up 33% over the past 12 months.

The next inflation-busting, quality ASX dividend share is S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) coal stock New Hope Corp Ltd (ASX: NHC).

New Hope paid a final dividend of 56 cents per share on 8 November. The ASX 200 miner paid an interim dividend of 40 cents per share on 3 May. That works out to a full-year payout of 96 cents per share, fully franked.

At the current New Hope share price of $5.72, that equates to a fully franked trailing yield of 16.8%.

Boom!

The New Hope share price is up 13% over the past 12 months.

Which brings us to the third quality ASX dividend share paying market-beating yields.

Namely, ASX 200 real estate investment trust (REIT) and fund manager Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW).

Unlike the two stocks above, the Cromwell Property share price has taken a big hit over the past year, down 38%.

However, I believe that with inflation coming under control and the end of the interest rate tightening cycle in sight, the worst of the pain is over for this REIT.

Cromwell Property pays quarterly dividends, unfranked.

Over the past 12 months, the ASX dividend share has paid out a total of 5.6 cents per share in passive income.

At the current Cromwell Property share price of 50 cents, that equates to a trailing yield of 11.2%.

The post 3 quality ASX dividend shares paying more than 11% a year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It followed an equally buoyant Friday on Wall Street and amid news a tentative agreement has been struck that will see the United States avoid hitting its debt ceiling.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) rose 1% on Friday, while the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) gained 1.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) surged 2.2%.

Back home, the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) led the way, lifting 1.9%.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (XMJ) – the ASX 200's two largest sectors – outperformed, rising 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively.

But there was one notable laggard. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) slumped 0.6% amid a disappointing performance from the Idp Education Ltd (ASX: IEL), share price.

So, with all that in mind, let's take a look at 10 ASX 200 shares that outperformed all others on Monday.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) share price posted the biggest gain on the index today, rising 4.6% to close at 45 cents.

These shares made today's biggest gains:

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

There are 500 companies comprising the ASX All Ords shares index.

Of those, 110 are trading below their book value, and some of them are trading at fire sale prices.

Let us explain.

What is book value?

A company's book value reflects how much it is worth, according to its financial statements. 

It's calculated by subtracting the value of a company's liabilities from the value of its assets.

The price-to-book (P/B) ratio is the share price today divided by the book value per share.

You determine the book value per share by dividing the book value by the number of shares on issue. 

Say you've got an ASX All Ords company trading at $13 per share and its book value is $10. You divide 13 by 10 to get a P/B ratio of 1.3.

A P/B ratio of 1 indicates the ASX All Ords share is trading at fair value. Anything above 1 indicates the share is expensive in relation to its intrinsic worth. Below 1 indicates the share is relatively cheap.

Of course, many other factors determine the individual value of ASX All Ords shares.

Some of them are quantifiable, such as growing profits. Others are intangible, such as investor sentiment.

If ASX investors feel hopeful about a share, they will bid up the price. And vice versa.

As investors, we need to consider a range of factors to help us decide what we are happy to pay for the ASX All Ords shares we are interested in.

This is called fundamental analysis, which involves looking at a wide range of financial metrics to get a good overall picture of a company's health and its future prospects.  

But we all need a starting point for our research.

After all, among ASX All Ords shares, we've got 500 companies to choose from! So, we need to separate them out somehow to determine which ones deserve a detailed investigation.

How to identify ASX All Ords shares trading below book value

Screening programs are terrific tools for achieving this task. Using them is far less time-consuming than calculating the book value of scores of ASX All Ords shares manually.

They are available through most brokerage platforms, and are accessible for free on some investing websites, too.

You can enter a few data points into a screening program, like a P/B ratio under 1 to ensure you don't overpay for a share, or a market capitalisation above $2 billion if you want to avoid small-cap shares.

The screening program will then create a list of ASX All Ords shares that meet those criteria.

You can also find the book value for a share on your existing share trading platform.

Go to the share's information page and look for a tab or link to financial information. Some sites show historical data, so you can see how the book value of an ASX share has changed over time. Helpful!

A consistently rising book value is always a good sign.

Which ASX All Ords shares are trading at fire sale prices?

S&P Global Market Intelligence data shows there is a mixed bag of ASX All Ords shares trading below their book value today.

Dominating those 110 shares are real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other ASX property shares.

The absolute standout is Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CDI (ASX: URW) with a P/B ratio of 0.374.

It's a European multinational commercial real estate company that specialises in shopping centres.

Here are other examples of ASX All Ords shares with a P/B ratio below 1 (from lowest to highest):

• Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW) shares (with a P/B ratio of 0.595)
• Centuria Office REIT (ASX: COF) shares (0.606)
• Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) shares (0.693)
• GPT Group (ASX: GPT) shares (0.724)
• Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) shares (0.744)
• Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR) shares (0.758)
• HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN) shares (0.779)
• Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) shares (0.786).

There are also several ASX financial shares, including ASX bank shares, trading below book value.

Examples include:

• Buy now, pay later share Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM) (0.353)
• Virgin Money UK CDI (ASX: VUK) shares (0.339)
• Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) shares (0.614)
• Pepper Money Ltd (ASX: PPM) shares (0.727)
• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) shares (0.734)
• AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) shares (0.798).

What do the experts say about these ASX All Ords shares?

Let's take a look at a few recent broker ratings on these ASX All Ords shares.

Ord Minnett upgraded its rating on AMP shares to 'accumulate' with a 12-month share price target of $1.35. The AMP share price is currently $1.10, implying a potential upside of 23%.

Citi has a buy rating and a $5 price target on the Charter Hall Long WALE REIT. The share is currently $4.25, so there's no huge upside expected in terms of growth. However, for dividend-focused investors, this share looks attractive, with Citi tipping dividend yields of 6.6% in FY23 and 6.85% in FY24.

UBS has a sell rating on Bendigo Bank shares with an $8 price target. This implies a 10% downside with the Bendigo Bank share price currently trading at $8.80.

Morgans has downgraded Bank of Queensland shares from an add rating to a hold rating. The team slashed their 12-month share price target on Bank of Queensland stock from $11 to $6.75. Ouch.

ASX All Ords shares are up 5.9% in the year to date and down 4% over the past 12 months.

The post Are these ASX All Ords shares ready to buy at fundamentally fire sale prices? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to jump

The Australian share market is expected to have a strong session on Thursday after Wall Street charged higher. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 51 points or 0.7% higher this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up 1%, the S&P 500 has risen 1.45%, and the NASDAQ is up 1.85%.

Pilbara Minerals rated neutral

Analysts at Goldman Sachs continue to sit on the fence when it comes to Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares. Despite having a price target of $4.80, which implies over 20% upside, the broker has reiterated its neutral rating this morning. It commented: "We rate PLS a Neutral on: 1) Valuation at ~1.1x NAV (peer average ~1.1x), or pricing ~US$1,080/t, 2) Strong production growth of ~3x to FY26E, and 3) Growing cash balance supports further growth opportunities and capital management."

Oil prices fall

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a subdued session after oil prices dropped on Wednesday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$72.90 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 0.5% to US$78.27 a barrel. Traders appear undecided over how tight supply levels are.

ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend

A number of ASX 200 shares are going ex-dividend on Thursday and could trade lower. This includes popular property companies such as Arena REIT (ASX: ARF), Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP), Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW), and Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW).

Gold price falls

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a tough session after the gold price fell overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.5% to US$1,980.7 an ounce. Demand for safe haven assets weakened as equities charged higher.

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