On Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back on form and charged higher. The benchmark index rose 0.5% to 7,258.4 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Wednesday? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to fall
The Australian share market looks set to fall on Wednesday despite it being a reasonably positive night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 12 points or 0.2% lower this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.3%, but the S&P 500 is up 0.3% and the Nasdaq is 0.7% higher.
Oil prices charge higher
Energy producers Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a good session after oil prices charged higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2% to US$77.16 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 1.8% to US$83.96 a barrel. Traders were bidding oil prices higher on Chinese growth hopes.
Harvey Norman shares rated as a buy
The Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) share price was sold off on Tuesday following the release of a weaker than expected half-year result from the retail giant. Goldman Sachs believes this has left its shares trading at a very attractive level and has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $4.70. Goldman's estimates suggest potential upside of 22% for its shares and a 9.3% dividend yield in FY 2023.
Gold price rises
Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a decent session after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.7% to US$1,837.2 an ounce. Despite this, the precious metal is on course to have its worst month in almost two years.
NextDC named as a buy
The NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price could have major upside potential according to the team at Morgans. This morning, the broker has reiterated its add rating on the data centre operator's shares with a trimmed price target of $13.00. It was pleased with NextDC's half-year results, commenting: "NXT's 1H23 result was slightly better than expectations with underlying EBITDA up 15% YoY and 6% ahead of our forecasts."
