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