5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

It is a huge day for Aussie investors. Here's what to expect.

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On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and dropped into the red again. The benchmark index fell 0.7% to 8,419.2 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to tumble

The Australian share market looks set to tumble again on Thursday despite it being a decent night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 53 point or 0.6% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up slightly, the S&P 500 is up 0.25%, and the Nasdaq is 0.2% higher.

Big results day

It is a very big day of results releases with a collection of well-known ASX 200 shares releasing their latest numbers. This includes ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) with its first quarter update, Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) with their half year results, and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) with its full year results.

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a decent session after oil prices pushed higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.65% to US$72.31 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.3% to US$76.05 a barrel. Supply concerns gave prices a lift.

Gold price eases

It could be a subdued session for ASX 200 gold shares including Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Thursday after the gold price edged lower overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 0.25% to US$2,941.6 an ounce. Traders appear to have been taking profit after strong gains recently.

James Hardie rated as a buy

James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) shares are good value according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating with a slightly increased price target of $59.45. It said: "We see upside from cyclical improvement and strategic execution against higher value product mix targets, which has scope to substantially improve group profitability. We are Buy-rated on the stock."

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