On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.25% to 8,297.5 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:
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ASX 200 expected to jump
The Australian share market looks set to storm higher on Friday following a decent night in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 87 points or 1% higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.65% and the S&P 500 rose 0.4%, but the Nasdaq edged 0.2% lower.
Oil prices drop
ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) could have a subdued finish to the week after oil prices dropped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 2.2% to US$61.77 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 2.15% to US$64.67 a barrel. This was driven by news that the US and Iran could strike a nuclear deal.
Buy Xero shares
The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price is in the buy zone according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. In response to the release of the cloud accounting platform provider's full year results, the broker has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $205.00. It said: "The highlight was the stronger than expected International segment, with revenue/profit +2%/+6% vs. GSe, and North America delivering its strongest ever organic subscriber growth (+35k) despite Canada remaining subdued."
Gold price rises
ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a good finish to the week after the gold price stormed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 1.65% to US$3,241.3 an ounce. This was driven by a softer US dollar and the release of weak economic data.
Aristocrat shares rated as a buy
Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL) shares are a buy according to the team at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $79.00. It said: "We retain our Buy recommendation. Although we expect consensus downgrades to roll through following this result, we believe most of the factors driving the miss are isolated to 1H25 and believe ALL is well placed to deliver a strong 2H25."
