5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday 17 March 2021

On Tuesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form and charged notably higher. The benchmark index surged 0.8% higher to end the day at 6,827.1 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market looks set to drop lower today after a subdued night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 28 points or 0.4% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.3%, the S&P 500 is down 0.1%, and the Nasdaq is up slightly.

Oil prices fall again

It could be a tough day for energy producers such as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited