Thursday preview: OPEC+ talks, US jobs market in focus

Investors' focus at the end of the holiday-shortened trading week will revert to global oil markets and the latest batch of US economic indicators.

On Thursday, ministers from the OPEC+ group of oil producing countries will start two days of consultations aimed at agreeing on coordinated supply cuts to prop up the price of crude.

Significantly, countries outside its ranks, such as Norway, are expected to cut output alongside the cartel, and officials from Canada's Alberta region are expected to dial-in to the conference too.

However, US reticence to commit to or order its oil firms to contribute with their own supply cuts, and not just in response to lower demand or falling prices, may prove an insurmountable hurdle, according to market observers.

Against that backdrop, at 1330 GMT the US Department of Labor is expected to report a further 4.5m jump in weekly jobless claims on top of the previous two weeks' historic surge.

Also due out, at 1445 GMT, is a preliminary reading on US consumer confidence from the University of Michigan, which is expected to show another big drop as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic sinks in.

Thursday 09 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Diageo, Trifast

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Begbies Traynor Group, Bioventix, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Henderson EuroTrust, Manchester & London Investment Trust, Smith (DS), VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd.

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Contour Global , GlaxoSmithKline, Regional REIT Limited, Schlumberger Ltd.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, BMO Private Equity Trust, Cineworld Group, JPMorgan Asia Growth & Income, JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies Trust, Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust, Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Scottish Inv Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (08:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Current Account (GER) (08:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

FINALS

PureTech Health

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

EIH Plc

EGMS

Manx Financial Group

AGMS

88 Energy Limited (DI), Helios Towers , Location Sciences Group, Smith & Nephew

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (09:30)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Index of Services (07:00)

Industrial Production (09:30)

Manufacturing Production (09:30)

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, BB Healthcare Trust (Red), Jupiter Fund Management , PCF Group, Safestore Holdings

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

4Imprint Group, Capital Drilling Ltd. (DI), Direct Line Insurance Group, EMIS Group, FBD Holdings, Gresham Technologies, Johnson Service Group, Octopus Titan VCT , Schroder Asian Total Return Investment Company