5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Business woman watching stocks and trends while thinking

On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and sank into the red. The benchmark index fell 1.2% to 8,843.6 points.

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

ASX 200 set to fall

The Australian share market looks set for a subdued session on Thursday despite a good night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 30 points or 0.35% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones was up 0.7%, the S&P 500 rose 1.05% and the Nasdaq charged 1.65% higher.

Fortescue update

Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares will be on watch on Thursday when the iron ore giant releases its third-quarter update. The market is expecting the miner to report iron ore shipments of approximately 49Mt for the three months. In addition, all eyes will be on its costs after the surge in diesel prices following the war in the Middle East.

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session on Thursday after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 3.1% to US$92.45 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 2.9% to US$101.31 a barrel. This was driven by news that Iran has seized container ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

DroneShield shares rated as a buy

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares are in the buy zone according to analysts at Bell Potter. In response to the counter-drone technology company’s quarterly update, the broker has retained its buy rating and $4.80 price target on DroneShield’s shares. It said: “At 43x CY26e EV / EBITDA, DRO trades at a discount to the global drone peer group. Further, we see upside risk to our revenue forecasts in CY26/27e, given the opportunities observed in the C-UAS industry.”

Gold price rises

ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a good session on Thursday after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.75% to US$4,754.8 an ounce. Traders were buying gold after a drop in Treasury yields.

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

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended DroneShield. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.