5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Detailed summary

Here's what to expect on the local market today. The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form again and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.25% to 9,153.2 points.

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

It looks set to be a subdued session for investors on Thursday despite a positive night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 34 points or 0.35% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up 0.50%, the S&P 500 is up 1.35%, and the Nasdaq is 1.7% higher.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) shares will be on watch on Thursday. That's because the cloud accounting platform provider is scheduled to release its eagerly anticipated half-year results. Investors will no doubt be looking to see if AI is having an impact on its user growth and average revenue per user. They will also be looking to see if management retains its full-year operating revenue guidance of NZ$3.62 billion to NZ$3.73 billion, which represents growth of 31% to 35% over FY 2026.

ASX 200 energy shares Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a positive session after oil prices rose overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.35% to US$86.32 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.1% to US$92.46 a barrel. Traders were buying oil due to fading ‌hopes of an imminent Iran-US de-escalation.

Light & Wonder Inc. (ASX: LNW) shares are good value according to analysts at Morgans. In response to its third-quarter update, the broker has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $165.00 (from $174.00). It said: "We continue to see the stock as materially undervalued given its valuation, albeit with higher near-term volatility. In our view, the set-up into FY27 remains attractive, supported by installed base growth, Gaming content rollout and ongoing deleveraging. We maintain our Buy recommendation, with a target price of A$165 (previously A$174)."

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