5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX:ALL) and Oil Search Ltd (ASX:OSH) shares will be on watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday…

man with head in hands after looking at stock market crash on computer, asx 200 share market crash

Image Source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

On Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) returned from the public holiday in a disappointing fashion and tumbled notably lower. The benchmark index fell 0.65% to 6,780.6 points.

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

ASX 200 poised to fall

The ASX 200 looks set to tumble lower again on Thursday after a very poor night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 38 points or 0.6% lower this morning. In late trade the Dow Jones has sunk 1.5%, the S&P 500 is down 1.8%, and the Nasdaq index has tumbled 1.4%.

Market selloff

Wall Street was sold off overnight following the release of some disappointing earnings results and concerns about high levels of speculative trading activity. In respect to the latter, according to CNBC, investors are worried that mounting losses by hedge funds could spill over to other areas of the market as those funds sell other securities to raise cash. In addition to this, there are fears that speculative trading in stocks such as GameStop could be a sign the market is overvalued and a pullback is near.

Oil prices rise

It could be a good day for energy producers such as Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.5% to US$52.89 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 0.1% to US$55.94 a barrel. A solid draw of US crude inventories helped boost prices.

Gold price drops

Gold miners such as Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch after the gold price dropped lower. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.35% to US$1,844.30 an ounce. Doubts over the US stimulus bill are weighing on the price of the precious metal.

Aristocrat given buy rating.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs believe the Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price is in the buy zone. This morning the broker has put a buy rating and $34.80 price target on the gaming technology company's shares. Goldman Sachs has been looking at its digital segment and notes that it appears to have delivered very strong growth in the final quarter thanks partly to its EverMerge game.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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 Bruce Jackson.

More on Share Market News

Man pointing an upward line on a bar graph symbolising a rising share price.
52-Week Highs

8 ASX 200 shares hitting multi-year highs today

These shares have defied the trend, hitting new price milestones amid a day in the red for the ASX 200.

Read more »

Broker Notes

Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Here's why brokers are feeling bullish about these three shares this week.

Read more »

A young man punches the air in delight as he reacts to great news on his mobile phone.
Share Gainers

Why EOS, Evolution Mining, Renascor, and Woodside shares are jumping today

These shares are ending the week on a high. But why?

Read more »

Person with thumbs down and a red sad face poster covering the face.
Share Fallers

Why Accent, Cettire, Ioneer, and Pro Medicus shares are dropping today

These shares are ending the week in the red. What's going on?

Read more »

A group of three miners in hard hats and high visibility vests confer at a rocky mining site.
Broker Notes

Up 66% in a year, just how much more upside does Macquarie tip for Perseus Mining shares?

Just how much higher might Perseus Mining shares soar? Here’s what Macquarie had to say about the ASX 200 gold…

Read more »

Rising share price chart.
Broker Notes

Why this exciting ASX 200 share could rise almost 50%

Bell Potter has good things to say about this biopharmaceutical company.

Read more »

A man holds his head in his hands after seeing bad news on his laptop screen.
Share Market News

Guess which popular ASX stock is crashing 21% today

Its earnings are expected to fall well short of consensus estimates.

Read more »

Buy and sell written on silver cubes on a stock market chart.
Broker Notes

2 buys and 2 sells in the ASX 200 financials sector: analysts

We reveal what the experts think of these ASX 200 financial shares.

Read more »