As Europe and the US loosen their lockdowns against the Coronavirus, health experts are expressing growing dread over what they say is an all-but-certain second wave of deaths and infections that could force governments to clamp back down.

'Risking a backslide'

"We are risking a backslide that will be intolerable," said Dr Ian Lipkin of Columbia University's Centre for Infection and Immunity. Around the world, German authorities began drawing up plans in case of a resurgence of the virus. Experts in Italy urged intensified efforts to identify new victims and trace their contacts. And France, which has not yet eased its lockdown, has already worked up a "re-confinement plan" in the event of a new wave.

"Typically pandemics occur in waves across different places, so people shouldn't think we are getting out of the woods just yet," the Guardian quoted Irwin Redlener, a physician and director of the National Centre for Disaster Preparedness, as saying.

US health officials worried

In the US, with about half of the states easing their shutdowns, public health authorities are worried. "If we relax these measures without having the proper public health safeguards in place, we can expect many more cases and, unfortunately, more deaths," said Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington.

Trump admin shelves CDC guide to reopen

A detailed report by the top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigators meant to give step-by-step advice to local leaders deciding when and how to reopen public places such as day care centers and restaurants during the still-raging pandemic has been shelved by the Trump administration. The report was supposed to be published last Friday, but agency scientists were told the guidance "would never see the light of day," said a CDC official.

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[Source: Research & Innovation] A revolutionary approach to neuro-rehabilitation developed by EU-funded researchers could help intensive care patients to recover, including survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During its 35th meeting, India's GST Council approved changes to GST filing requirements and deadlines, and approved the introduction of an electronic invoicing system,

India's Ministry of Finance has released a new Notification that sets the "tolerable range" for arm's length dealings.

On the same day the Court ruled against Fiat's appeal, the EU General Court has decided that Starbucks was not in fact granted a selective tax advantage in a Dutch tax ruling, contrary to a European Commission conclusion.

On March 17, 2020, the Dutch Ministry of Finance announced that the Government has adopted a package of measures intended to protect the economy from the coronavirus epidemic, including several tax changes.

Members of the European Parliament have preliminarily agreed to continue with the aviation industry's current treatment under the EU's emissions trading scheme to allow for the development of a new industry-specific carbon tax arrangement.

On May 28, 2019, Dutch State Secretary for Finance Menno Snel issued an update on the Government's 2019 fiscal agenda, which includes an outline of tax legislative proposals that the Government intends to submit to parliament in the remainder of the year.

On March 23, 2020, the Turkish Government published a resolution in the official gazette to temporarily reduce the rate of VAT on air passenger transport to one percent.

BANK OF MAHARASHTRA share price has zoomed 9% and is presently trading at Rs 10.

Meanwhile, the BSE BANKEX Index is at 22,787 (up 2.1%).

Among the top Gainers in the BSE BANKEX Index today is BANK OF MAHARASHTRA (up 8.6%).

Over the last one year, BANK OF MAHARASHTRA has moved down from Rs 15 to Rs 10, registering a loss of Rs 5 (down 35.9%).

On the other hand, the BSE BANKEX has moved down from 32,704 to 22,787, loss of 9,917 points (down 30.4%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE BANKEX Index stocks during this same period were [param_historic_top3].

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.8%).

The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are HUL (up 3.0%), INDUSIND BANK (up 2.9%) and BAJAJ FINANCE (up 2.8%). Other gainers include AXIS BANK (up 2.7%) and RELIANCE IND. (up 2.5%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are RELIANCE IND. and SBI.

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 1.5%). The top gainers in the NSE Nifty include DR. REDDYS LAB (up 4.1%), INDIABULLS HOU. FIN. (up 3.8%) and HUL (up 3.2%). Other gainers include HINDALCO (up 2.5%) and ZEE ENTERTAINMENT (up 2.3%) 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 16.35%).

BANK OF MAHARASHTRA Financial Update...

BANK OF MAHARASHTRA net profit declined 103.6% YoY to Rs 1 billion for the quarter ended December 2019, compared to a loss of Rs 38 billion a year ago. Operating income rose 14.0% to Rs 30.2 billion during the period as against Rs 26.5 billion in October-December 2018.

For the year ended March 2019, BANK OF MAHARASHTRA reported 328.3% increase in net profit to Rs 47.6 billion compared to net profit of Rs 11.1 billion during FY18.

Revenue of the company grew 2.2% to Rs 108 billion during FY19.

The current Price to earnings ratio of BANK OF MAHARASHTRA, based on rolling 12 month earnings, stands at 6.7x.

This article (BANK OF MAHARASHTRA Surges by 9%; BSE BANKEX Index Up 2.1%) 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.

LAURUS LABS LTD share price has plunged 9% and is presently trading at Rs 488.

Meanwhile, the BSE HEALTHCARE Index is at 15,333 (up 1.6%).

Among the top losers in the BSE HEALTHCARE Index today is LAURUS LABS LTD (down 8.8%).

J.B.CHEMICALS (up 5.5%) and DR. REDDYS LAB (up 3.9%) are among the top gainers today.

Over the last one year, LAURUS LABS LTD has moved up from Rs 386 to Rs 488, registering a gain of Rs 102 (up 26.5%)..

The BSE HEALTHCARE has moved up from 14,034 to 15,333, registering a gain of 1,299 points (up 9.3%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE HEALTHCARE Index stocks during this same period were ABBOTT INDIA (up 144.4%), J.B.CHEMICALS (up 94.1%) and IPCA LABS (up 66.0%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.7%). The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are ICICI BANK (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 1.5%). ZEE ENTERTAINMENT (up 6.1%) 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 16.48%).

BHEL share price has plunged 5% and is presently trading at Rs 23.

Meanwhile, the BSE CAPITAL GOODS Index is at 11,399 (down 0.9%).

Among the top losers in the BSE CAPITAL GOODS Index today is BHEL (down 5.2%).

SKF INDIA (up 5.2%) and SADBHAV ENGINEERING (up 4.9%) are among the top gainers today.

Over the last one year, BHEL has moved down from Rs 64 to Rs 23, registering a loss of Rs 40 (down 63.3%)..

The BSE CAPITAL GOODS has moved down from 17,932 to 11,399, loss of 6,533 points (down 36.4%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE CAPITAL GOODS Index stocks during this same period were HONEYWELL AUTOMATION (up 12.2%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 0.7%). The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are HUL (up 3.8%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are ICICI BANK and RELIANCE IND..

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 0.8%). DR. REDDYS LAB (up 4.3%) 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 17.27%).

BHEL Financial Update...

BHEL net profit down at Rs 2 billion for the quarter ended December 2019, compared to a loss of Rs 2 billion a year ago. Net Sales declined 22.6% to Rs 56.8 billion during the period as against Rs 73.4 billion in October-December 2018.

For the year ended March 2019, BHEL reported 44.1% increase in net profit to Rs 11.9 billion compared to net profit of Rs 8.3 billion during FY18.

Revenue of the company grew 5.3% to Rs 304 billion during FY19.

The current Price to earnings ratio of BHEL, based on rolling 12 month earnings, stands at 21.6x.

This article (BHEL Plunges by 5%; BSE CAPITAL GOODS Index Down 0.9%) 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.

INFO EDGE share price has zoomed 6% and is presently trading at Rs 2,741.

Meanwhile, the BSE IT Index is at 13,667 (up 0.9%).

Among the top Gainers in the BSE IT Index today is INFO EDGE (up 5.6%).

TATA ELXSI (down 0.5%) and ORACLE FINANCIAL (down 1.3%) are among the top losers today.

Over the last one year, INFO EDGE has moved up from Rs 1,956 to Rs 2,741, registering a gain of Rs 784 (up 40.0%).

On the other hand, the BSE IT has moved down from 15,682 to 13,667, loss of 2,015 points (down 13.6%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE IT Index stocks during this same period were INFIBEAM AVENUES (up 15.9%) and NIIT TECHNOLOGIES (up 11.1%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 0.6%).

The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are HUL (up 5.1%), RELIANCE IND. (up 3.9%) and NESTLE (up 3.9%). Other gainers include TECH MAHINDRA (up 3.6%) and SUN PHARMA (up 3.3%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are ICICI BANK and RELIANCE IND..

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 0.6%). The top gainers in the NSE Nifty include HUL (up 5.1%), DR. REDDYS LAB (up 3.9%) and TECH MAHINDRA (up 3.8%). Other gainers include SUN PHARMA (up 3.6%) and RELIANCE IND. (up 3.6%) 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 17.32%).

INFO EDGE Financial Update...

INFO EDGE net profit stood at Rs 880 million for the quarter ended December 2019, compared to a profit of Rs 743 million a year ago. Net Sales rose 14.0% to Rs 3.2 billion during the period as against Rs 2.8 billion in October-December 2018.

For the year ended March 2019, INFO EDGE reported 22.8% increase in net profit to Rs 2.9 billion compared to net profit of Rs 2.3 billion during FY18.

Revenue of the company grew 16.5% to Rs 12 billion during FY19.

The current Price to earnings ratio of INFO EDGE, based on rolling 12 month earnings, stands at 145.1x.

This article (INFO EDGE Surges by 6%; BSE IT Index Up 0.9%) 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.

Indian share markets ended their trading session on a positive note today.

Benchmark indices edged higher, tracking overnight gains in the US market and positive Asian stock markets.

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.

At the closing bell, the�BSE Sensex�stood higher by 199 points (up 0.6%) and the�NSE Nifty�closed higher by 52 points (up 0.6%).

SGX Nifty�was trading at 9,260, up by 64 points, at the time of writing.

The BSE Mid Cap�index ended up by 0.1%, while the�BSE Small Cap�index ended the day down by 0.5%.

On the sectoral front, gains were seen in the energy sector and FMCG sector, while power stocks witnessed selling pressure.

Asian stock markets�finished on a strong note as of the most recent closing prices.

The�Hang Seng�was up 1% and the Nikkei was trading higher by 2.6%. The Shanghai Composite was up 0.8%.

European markets were trading on a positive note. The DAX was trading up by 0.8%, while the CAC 40 was trading up by 0.7%.

The rupee was trading at 75.55 to the US$ at the time of writing.

Gold prices�are currently trading up by 0.2% at Rs 46,274.

Speaking of the current stock market scenario, Indian stock markets have seen a stunning recovery over the last 5 weeks.

From its all-time high levels of 42,274 touched on January 20 this year, the Sensex crashed 39% to a multi-year low at 25,639 on March 23. Later, the index made a rapid recovery till April 30 as it added 4,250 points.

Thereafter, in just two sessions of this month, Sensex lost 7%.

Excluding this week's 7% fall, of all the rebounds after a 35%-40% fall in the market, the current one has been the biggest by a distance.

This is evident from the chart below:

Sensex: From Bear to Bull in 30 Days

While the Sensex has rebounded sharply, there are still many stocks out there that are trading at attractive valuations.

Co-head of research at�Equitymaster, Rahul Shah, believes this is a good time to get into stocks, even if you missed the rally because the market is fairly valued.

History has shown that after years like the one we had just now, the next 3 years are good for the markets. In fact, these corrections are the rare times when you find businesses with solid fundamentals at reasonable valuations.

If you can�find good businesses�that can survive the current crisis, you will do well in the long run.

Moving on, market participants were tracking�Shree Cement share price,�TCI Express share price, and�SBI Cards and Payment Services share price�as these companies announced their March quarter results (Q4FY20) 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, RBL Bank share price was in focus today.

The private lender on Thursday reported a 54% decline in its March quarter net profit to�Rs 1,143 million on the back of higher provisions.

The bank's total provisions trebled on a year-on-year (YoY) basis and stood at�Rs 6.1 billion in Q4FY20. It holds�Rs 1,079.5 million of provisions in excess of what RBI has mandated for covid-19 related moratorium.

The lender logged a 37% YoY growth in its operating profit at Rs 7.7 billion compared to Rs 5.6 billion a year ago.

The bank's total revenue jumped 33% YoY to Rs 15.2 billion from Rs 11.5 billion reported in Q4FY19.

RBL Bank's net interest margin (NIM) stood at 4.93% in the March quarter. Its net interest income (NII) grew 38% YoY to�Rs 10.2 billion in Q4FY20.

The bank's deposits fell 1% to�Rs 578.1 billion in Q4FY20. Current and savings account (Casa) deposits grew 17% and 2% sequentially to�Rs 171.1 billion in the March quarter.

The private lender's advances increased 7% to�Rs 580.2 billion.

For the financial year 2019-20, the bank's total income stood at Rs 55.4 billion, up 39% YoY from Rs 39.8 billion, while its operating profit jumped 42% YoY to Rs 27.5 billion.

To know more, you can read RBL Bank's Q4FY20 result analysis on our website.

Moving on to news from the pharma sector, shares of Dr Reddy's Laboratories rallied 8% today to hit a 52-week high of Rs 4,132, after the company received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from US health regulator for its manufacturing plant at Srikakulam.

In a regulatory filing, the company said it has received EIR from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), for the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacturing plant at Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh (CTO VI).

The site was issued warning letter in November 2015 after the inspection in 2014, and was under "Official Action Indicated" classification till now.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories share price ended the day up by 3.8%.

In other news, Laurus Labs share price witnessed selling pressure today. Stock of the company�slipped 10% today after more than 30 million equity shares of the pharmaceutical company changed hands via multiple block deals.

As much as 19.1 million shares were traded on BSE, while on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), about 15.3 million shares changed hands.

Last week, the company had reported its consolidated net profit at Rs 1.1 billion, which more than doubled from Rs 430 million reported in the year-ago quarter.

The company's board also recommended for the sub-division of equity shares of the company from existing face value of Rs 10 each to face value of Rs 2 each, subject to regulatory approvals.

Speaking of the pharma sector, in December 2019, co-head of Research at�Equitymaster, Tanushree Banerjee had predicted that pharma could be the sector to see a�big rebound in 2020.

And rightly so, most�pharma companies�have re-emerged as the safer bets for investors in the ongoing market turmoil. Last month, the Indian rupee touched a new record low of Rs 76.92 against the US dollar. Most�pharma companies�generate their revenues through exports. Hence, a depreciating rupee is a positive development for them.

As per Tanushree, in a�post Covid-19 world, healthcare expenditures globally will see a big rejig.

Tanushree has her eyes on an exciting tech stock. The company in question is developing its medical division. It's focusing on telemedicine, which Tanushree believes will be a huge growth driver in a post Corona world.

Looking at the potential upside in the stock, over a period of five to ten years, Tanushree believes investors could become a�One Stock Crorepati.

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

Luxembourg's Government Council, comprising government ministers, has approved legislative changes to the territory's VAT regime to introduce the four quick fixes to improve the functioning of VAT rules in the European Union.

The EU General Court has dismissed an appeal brought against the European Commission's decision that a tax ruling granted by Luxembourg to Fiat Chrysler Finance Europe was unlawful.

On September 13, the OECD launched a substantial report on the tax policy reforms implemented last year by advanced nations.

African countries are steadily improving their tax revenue collections, according to Revenue Statistics in Africa 2017, a new report released recently at a meeting of tax and finance officials from 21 African countries.

The Swiss Federal Council has approved an OECD multilateral convention designed to prevent BEPS-related abuse of the international tax treaty system.

Xiaomi's Mi 10 competes fiercely with premium-end flagships from the Android universe -- both in terms of hardware and design. Here's why it could end up being a winner.

Sensex, Nifty Live News Today: SBI Cards and Payment Services, Adani Gas, Shree Cement, Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care, Reliance Power, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Home Finance, Reliance Capital among others will be reporting their March quarterly results today

The fund house said the remarks made by Jenny Johnson, president and CEO, Franklin Templeton during their quarterly earnings call were quoted "out of context" by media outlets

Stock specific action was seen in index heavyweight Reliance Industries gained 3.43% to Rs 1,558 on BSE after PE firm Vista Equity Partners said it would invest Rs 11,367 crore into Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore.

Shares of Asian Paints closed 1.01 per cent lower at 1,577against previous close of Rs 1593 on BSE

Switzerland's Federal Tax Administration has announced the exchange of information on millions of financial accounts with 75 partner countries.

For the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2020, ICICI Bank reported a 26 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 1,221 crore compared to Rs 969 crore a year ago

According to a PTI report, all state governments except Maharashtra have been paying for the railway costs to ferry passengers to their native places

UK COVID-19 news: The death comes as Britain prepares for some easing in the strict lockdown measures in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus as it is believed that Britain is past the peak of the pandemic

Globally, efforts are underway to develop a vaccine to treat Covid 19 which has stalled economic activity and led to death of over 2.77 lakh people across the world

Under complete lockdown less than a quarter of India's $2.8 trillion economy is functional. We are expected to lose over Rs 32,000 crore ($4.5 billion) every day during the lockdown

Businesses that will be able to identify and implement changes and address new risks in the post-COVID-19 world would have advantages and can expect value appreciation

With most auto-stocks down by nearly 40-70% since February 2020, the post-COVID-19 scenario might see consumers move away from all forms of shared mobility to more personal forms of transport

Once the menace of COVID-19 pandemic is over, a new ecopolitical order will emerge which will be more focussed on human development, infrastructure around health and education, climate preservation and most importantly on people

Companies' success in the next 18 months won't be determined by their growth or profitability, but merely by their ability to survive and not run out of cash

The European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority has approved a Norwegian state aid scheme which grants tax refunds to ship owners.

Norway's reelected Conservative Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, has pledged tax cuts for companies to encourage higher investment, job creation, and economic growth.

The move lifts the overhang of a warning letter for a plant that Dr Reddy's had been dealing with for long. Now all their plants have become USFDA compliant

Jio has also announced new add-on data packs under work from home theme

Singapore's recently released 2019 Budget included few significant tax announcements except confirmation that Singapore's carbon tax will be levied this year and the goods and services tax will be hiked in the medium term.

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has called on the Malaysian Government to reintroduce inheritance tax in the Budget 2018.

The Malaysian Government in its Budget 2018 announced numerous tax changes, including an income tax cut, incentives for women to return to work, and tax relief for property investors and venture capital firms.

Malaysia has suspended its MSC Malaysia tax regime, pending changes to bring it into line with recommendations from the OECD's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative.

Besides lending against securities held by MFs, banks have been allowed by the RBI to do outright purchase of more than 25 per cent of Hold Till Maturity (HTM) securities in mutual funds portfolios in the absence of liquidity in the secondary market

The crisis served as a wake-up call for banks whose digital operations were growing at a snail's pace. They have started embracing the change

The lesson here is don't marry your stocks. If your original investment thesis fails, you shouldn't shy away from exiting your positions

When you approach a lender for loan against mutual fund, it fixes a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio against it. It varies from one lender to another as per risk involved in the MF scheme and regulatory caps fixed by the RBI

A number of incentives have been included in the Finnish Government's 2019 Budget to encourage investment in the shares of both small and listed companies.

A group of 21 Republican members of the US Senate have signed a letter to the Treasury Secretary urging him to amend how capital gains tax liability is calculated.

On January 15, 2020, three tax bills were made law to give effect to measures announced in South Africa's 2019 Budget.

Higher tax receipts helped Switzerland to another surplus in 2019, with withholding tax and direct federal tax performing particularly well.