The European Council on November 10 authorized the signing of an agreement with Switzerland to link their emissions trading systems.

Barbados's new government has issued a new Budget that would raise corporate and income tax rates, repeal the National Social Responsibility Levy and road tax and make other value-added tax and levy changes.

Switzerland and the EU are to link their emissions trading systems from next year, after the Swiss Federal Council approved revisions to the country's Ordinance on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions.

TV18 BROADCAST share price has zoomed 10% and is presently trading at Rs 20.

Meanwhile, the BSE 500 Index is at 12,146 (up 1.5%).

Among the top Gainers in the BSE 500 Index today are TV18 BROADCAST (up 10.1%) and HATHWAY CABLE (up 13.5%).

PAGE INDUSTRIES and SCHAEFFLER INDIA LTD (down 0.1%) are among the top losers today.

Over the last one year, TV18 BROADCAST has moved down from Rs 30 to Rs 20, registering a loss of Rs 10 (down 33.8%).

On the other hand, the BSE 500 has moved down from 14,958 to 12,146, loss of 2,812 points (down 19.0%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE 500 Index stocks during this same period were ADANI GREEN ENERGY (up 433.0%), ABBOTT INDIA (up 146.0%) and NAVIN FLUORINE (up 119.0%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.6%).

The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are INDUSIND BANK (up 4.7%), KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK (up 3.3%) and HUL (up 3.0%). Other gainers include AXIS BANK (up 2.7%) and BAJAJ FINANCE (up 2.7%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are SBI and INDUSIND BANK.

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 1.4%). The top gainers in the NSE Nifty include INDUSIND BANK (up 4.6%), DR. REDDYS LAB (up 3.9%) and KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK (up 3.1%). Other gainers include HUL (up 3.1%) and INDIABULLS HOU. FIN. (up 3.0%) are among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 16.56%).

TV18 BROADCAST Financial Update...

TV18 BROADCAST net profit down at Rs 1 billion for the quarter ended March 2020, compared to a loss of Rs 2 billion a year ago. Net Sales declined 0.0% to Rs 14.2 billion during the period as against Rs 14.3 billion in January-March 2019.

For the year ended March 2019, TV18 BROADCAST reported 390.2% decrease in net profit to Rs 1.7 billion compared to net loss of Rs 602.0 million during FY18.

Revenue of the company grew 243.7% to Rs 57 billion during FY19.

The current Price to earnings ratio of TV18 BROADCAST, based on rolling 12 month earnings, stands at 9.1x.

This article (TV18 BROADCAST Surges by 10%; BSE 500 Index Up 1.5%) is authored by Equitymaster.

Equitymaster is a leading 'independent' equity research initiative focused on providing well-researched and unbiased opinions on stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

BRIGADE ENTERPRISES share price has plunged 7% and is presently trading at Rs 112.

Meanwhile, the BSE REALTY Index is at 1,345 (up 0.7%).

Among the top losers in the BSE REALTY Index today is BRIGADE ENTERPRISES (down 6.8%).

INDIABULLS REAL EST (up 3.8%) and DLF (up 2.0%) are among the top gainers today.

Over the last one year, BRIGADE ENTERPRISES has moved down from Rs 153 to Rs 112, registering a loss of Rs 41 (down 26.8%)..

The BSE REALTY has moved down from 1,983 to 1,345, loss of 638 points (down 32.2%) during the last 12 months.

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.6%). The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are RELIANCE IND. (up 4.0%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are SBI and INDUSIND BANK.

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 1.3%). ZEE ENTERTAINMENT (up 5.7%) is among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 16.54%).

BRIGADE ENTERPRISES Financial Update...

BRIGADE ENTERPRISES net profit down at Rs 405 million for the quarter ended December 2019, compared to a loss of Rs 594 million a year ago. Net Sales declined 19.7% to Rs 5.5 billion during the period as against Rs 6.9 billion in October-December 2018.

For the year ended March 2019, BRIGADE ENTERPRISES reported 96.0% increase in net profit to Rs 2.8 billion compared to net profit of Rs 1.4 billion during FY18.

Revenue of the company grew 56.7% to Rs 30 billion during FY19.

The current Price to earnings ratio of BRIGADE ENTERPRISES, based on rolling 12 month earnings, stands at 7.2x.

This article (BRIGADE ENTERPRISES Plunges by 7%; BSE REALTY Index Up 0.7%) is authored by Equitymaster.

Equitymaster is a leading 'independent' equity research initiative focused on providing well-researched and unbiased opinions on stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Share markets in India are presently trading on a positive note. Benchmark indices advanced today tracking firm global cues.

Further, talks of an economic stimulus for small businesses battered by the coronavirus outbreak improved sentiment.

Reportedly, the government may unveil fiscal stimulus amounting to 0.3% of the country's gross domestic product, focusing on small and medium sized businesses, real estate firms and banks.

The BSE Sensex is trading up by 524 points while the NSE Nifty is trading up by 146 points.

The BSE Mid Cap index and the BSE Small Cap index are trading up by 0.9% and 0.7%, respectively.

Sectoral indices are trading mixed with stocks in the energy sector and telecom sector witnessing buying interest, while power stocks are witnessing selling pressure.

The rupee is currently trading at 75.44 against the US$.

Gold prices are currently trading down by 0.1% at Rs 46,134.

Speaking of the current stock market scenario, after a sharp rally in the past few weeks, the markets have turned volatile again.

You would be interested in knowing when the market will likely bottom out.

Vijay Bhambwani, editor of Weekly Cash Alerts, has the answer and he has recorded a video about it.

You can check the same here - This is When the Stock Market Will Bottom Out

Moving on, market participants are tracking Shree Cement share price, TCI Express share price, and SBI Cards and Payment Services share price as these companies are scheduled to announce their March quarter results (Q4FY20) later today.

You can read our recently released Q4FY20 results of other companies here: Ambuja Cement, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Marico, Kansai Nerolac, NIIT Technologies, Persistent Systems, SKF India.

In news from the banking sector, public sector banks (PSBs) sanctioned loans worth Rs 5.66 lakh crore for the March-April period to 41.81 lakh accounts, according to the finance ministry.

The borrowers represented the micro small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), retail, agriculture and corporate sectors.

Reportedly, PSB loans amounting to Rs 265 billion have been sanctioned in 2.37 lakh cases for MSMEs.

This is part of the PSB initiative to prioritise pre-approved emergency credit lines and enhanced working capital requirements to the sector.

Meanwhile, PSBs sanctioned loans worth Rs 773.8 billion to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs) between March 1 and May 4.

Including the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) targeted long term repo operations (TLTRO) window, PSBs extended Rs 1.08 lakh crore of financing to ensure business stability and continuity.

The finance ministry said that the three-month loan moratorium facility announced by the RBI has been availed by 3.2 crore PSB accounts.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Indian economy is poised to recover from the recent crisis brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic with PSB sanctioning loans worth Rs 5.66 lakh crore in just two months.

Speaking of the banking sector, the low access to credit for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) tells us there is a huge opportunity for lenders.

This is evident from the chart below:

India's Huge Lending Opportunity

Of the 60 million MSMEs in India, only 11% had access to credit from organised lenders. Most of them are self-financed or get credit from unorganised sources.

Here's what Tanushree Banerjee wrote about this in one of the editions of The 5 Minute WrapUp...

• Self-financing limits the growth of these MSMEs. On the other hand, high interest rates from unorganised sources makes it difficult for them to earn profits.
  
  The Modi government is looking at various ways to correct this problem. Mudra loans, online loans facilities are being made available to MSMEs.
  
  Slowly but surely, lenders are sensing the huge opportunity that lies ahead for this sector.
  
  Banks and other financial firms with prudent lending practices and strong distribution networks will benefit from this megatrend.

Tanushree is counting on 7 top stocks from the Indian stock market that will benefit from this megatrend.

As per her, now is the right time to buy these stocks to profit from the Rebirth of India. You can read about them here.

Moving on to news from the FMCG sector, shares of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) rose 4% today after institutional investors bought stake in the company via open market on Thursday.

The NSE bulk deal data showed that foreign portfolio investor Societe Generale, a French multinational investment bank and financial services company, bought 129 million shares of HUL at an average price of Rs 1,902.

UK-based Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) offloaded its stake in HUL via block deals, yesterday.

According to the term sheet, over 133 million shares were offered in the range of Rs 1,850-1,950 to investors through a special block window.

The deal is valued roughly between Rs 246 billion to Rs 259 billion.

Note that last week, HUL reported a 7% decline in volumes in Q4FY20. The company's profit before tax fell 10.6% to Rs 19.9 billion, while net profit declined 1.2% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 15.2 billion.

HUL share price is presently trading up by 3%.

To know more about the company, you can HUL's latest result analysis on our website.

And to know what's moving the Indian stock markets today, check out the most recent share market updates here.

On December 18, 2018, Luxembourg's parliament approved legislation that will implement the European Union Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive.

The South African Revenue Service has reminded taxpayers that individual tax payment is required by January 31, 2018.

44 African countries have signed a landmark free trade pact to simplify tax and non-tax rules for trading between their borders.

Jio has introduced an annual work-from-home annual plan for Rs 2399 that gives its users 2GB daily data. It has also brought in three work-from-home add-on plans.

Google Duo has added a family mode feature which lets its users get a more personalised experience by using AR effects and options to doodle.

Share price of SBI Cards and Payment Services gained 2.44% to Rs 587.80 compared to the previous close of Rs 573.80 on BSE

The sedentary nature of modern life has had a noticeably detrimental effect on both physical and mental health. An EU-funded project has highlighted how to boost the wellbeing of Europeans by linking transport and health policies.

A cluster-based approach to lending is likely to be the best strategy for optimal results in the shortest possible time to accelerate credit flow to the MSME sector

Adar Poonawala, CEO of Serum Institute of India, says he is taking the risk of initiating production even before the vaccine has reached advanced clinical trials

The member states of the European Free Trade Association signed a free trade agreement with Georgia during a meeting on June 27, 2016.

New chemical markers intended to be used in gas oil (diesel) and kerosene in the EU are more resilient to fraud than the one currently applied, and introducing a new marker might cost less than member states currently lose in tax revenues, a new EU report says.

The European Free Trade Association states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), and the South African Customs Union have begun negotiations to review their existing free trade agreement.

Switzerland's Government has recently decided on a number of trade matters and reviewed its plans for changes to how it administers vehicle taxes.

The European Free Trade Association states – Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland – and Indonesia have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which will slash tariffs on a majority of industrial goods.

According to figures declared by the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), pharmaceutical exports registered a growth of 11.21 percent during the first quarter of FY20

Sri Lanka signed its first ever comprehensive free trade agreement on January 23, with Singapore.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has released new transfer pricing guidance on determining the economic value of taxpayers' commodity marketing and trading activities in Singapore.

Singapore and Germany have signed a protocol to their double taxation agreement, which brings the treaty into line with international standards and amends the maximum withholding tax rates that may be charged.

The European Free Trade Association, which comprises Liechtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland, and Norway, intends to take forward free trade negotiations with India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Ecuador this year.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai revealed on July 19 that the Government is considering introducing a more modern, innovative way of levying road tax.

Canada and representatives from the ASEAN member states have agreed to launch exploratory discussions to determine the potential for a free trade agreement.

Hong Kong has announced the conclusion of free trade agreement negotiations with the Association of South East Asian Nations.

Muhammad bin Ibrahim, the Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia, has stressed the need for Labuan to review its international tax framework in light of the OECD's work on Action 5 of the base erosion and profit shifting project, on harmful tax practices.

The IMF has welcomed Luxembourg's efforts to meet international tax standards but cautioned that international tax reform could hit the country's tax base.

On September 24, 2019, the Polish Government adopted the draft Budget for 2020, which takes into account recent reductions in personal income tax.

Two deadlines are approaching in Colombia for taxpayers wishing to take part in ongoing tax amnesties.

The OECD on September 2, 2019, announced that Ecuador and Serbia have ratified the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters.

Researchers from The University of Cincinnati are working on the development of affordable and disposable e-readers. The research by Andrew

Dengue fever is a vector-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. 39 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi so far, a civic body report said.

The dengue virus kills an estimated 20,000 people each year and infects up to 100 million, suggested the World Health Organization (WHO). There is no vaccine for dengue.

Chikungunya has affected tens of thousands across New Delhi. Cases of viral fever and dengue are also rampant. There is no need to panic over the spread

Dengue, one of the mosquito-causing disease has declined in the number of new cases in the past decade. But the outbreaks have increased now and the spread

Asian tiger mosquito has been neglected as a source of Zika and dengue virus, as the threat was measured right after one feeding on infected blood. However,

bDengue virus/b grows and spreads in mosquitoes faster at bhigher temperatures/b, but slows when temperatures are lower or fluctuate, suggesting

Target genes in the malaria parasite can be inhibited by triclosan, an antimicrobial compound used in soap, toothpaste, deodorant and many other products, finds a new study.

Nearly 550 dengue cases have been reported in Himachal Pradesh, India and especially in Bilaspur, which is Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda's hometown.

The current outbreak of dengue is spreading fast to the outlying districts paralleling with the people traveling from Dhaka to the different districts on the eve of Eid.

Releasing mosquitoes infected with a type of bacteria could wipe out the spread of dengue, thereby reducing global dengue cases by 90 percent, reports a new study.

Highlights: COVID-19 can stick on to kids' toys and play equipment Parents must advice your naughty little

Highlights: Children who are obese are at higher risk of developing heart disease later Regular physical ac

The Bank of Canada has published the findings of its latest business outlook survey, which shows some concern among firms over the impact of US trade and tax policies.

Canada's auditors general have published a collaborative report on the country's response to climate change, which raises concerns about the success of the action taken by governments.

The Canadian Parliament's international trade committee has recommended that the federal Government tax products supplied to Canadian consumers by online platforms.

Canada and Israel have signed a modernized free trade agreement.