U.S. stocks eked out a second consecutive day of gains as investors weighed a cloudy picture of the economy against U.S. businesses starting to slowly reopen after a period of stultifying coronavirus lockdowns.

Asian stock markets advanced on Wednesday, 06 May 2020, as investors risk sentiments buoyed on tracking positive cues overnight from Wall Street after reports of easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in Europe and the U.S. Stocks also saw a modest boost from a rebound in oil prices.

Banks stocks were lower. National Australia Bank ended the day 2.3% lower Westpac and ANZ both declined about 1.5% while Commonwealth Bank dropped 0.8%.

The major averages finished the session on opposite sides of the unchanged line, as traders weighed optimism about some states reopening against some dismal employment data. The ADP jobs report showed that US companies lost 20.2 million jobs in April. The government's April jobs report is due Friday.

The latest survey from the Australian Industry Group revealed that the services sector in Australia continued to contract in April, and at a steeper pace, with a Performance of Services Index score of 27.1. That's down from 38.7 in March and it moves further beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Total 21 issues of 33 industry category of Topix index were in negative territory, with Air Transportation, Insurance, Land Transportation, Iron & Steel, Nonferrous Metals, and Oil & Coal Products issues being notable losers, while Other Products, Electric Appliances, Metal Products, Construction, and Pharmaceutical issues were notable gainers.

Total 32 issues of 33 industry category of Topix index were in positive territory, with Iron & Steel, Nonferrous Metals, Marine Transportation, Land Transportation, Wholesale Trade, Real Estate, and Securities & Commodities Futures issues being notable gainers.

The Australian share market got a boost on hopes for an economic recovery at home after the government unveiled plans to end most coronavirus restrictions by July. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announced a plan to ease social distancing restrictions in a three-step process, which would remove all curbs by July and get nearly 1 million people back to work amid a decline in coronavirus cases.

The gains in Hong Kong share market were driven by reports that top US and Chinese trade representatives discussed their Phase 1 trade deal earlier in the day, with China saying it would work with Washington to improve the atmosphere for implementing the Phase 1 trade deal signed this year. The officials also agreed to "strengthen cooperation on macro economy and public health."

General fiscal deficit in FY19 expected to be 5.8 per cent of GDP, compared with 6.4 per cent the previous year

Price band is Rs 315-320 per share

Receives bids for 6.55 crore shares

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Receives bids for 1.12 crore shares

Receives bids for 5.02 crore shares

Receives bids for 100.32 crore shares

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Receives bids for 2,052.12 crore shares

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Receives bids for 4.37 crore shares

Receives bids for 155.35 crore shares

Receives bids for 225.08 crore shares

Receives bids for 225.09 crore shares

A number of government surveys are conducted in face-to-face interviews for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, physical material must be collected or the survey is too long and complex to conduct by telephone or mailed questionnaire. The results are some of the richest and most complete survey data available.

​Periodical cicadas live underground for 13 or 17 years before emerging to mate, lay eggs and die off, and today, there are 15 known broods in the U.S. There used to be 16 and the current number may dwindle if the teetering Brood VII goes extinct.

MLB.com really wants to give away $5.6 million. But there’s a catch: To claim the prize, one needs to participate in Major League Baseball’s Beat the Streak contest and assemble a batting streak that surpasses Joe DiMaggio’s run of 56 consecutive games in 1941. This isn't easy.

Jackie Bradley Jr.'s bid to supplant Joe DiMaggio atop the Major League Baseball hit-streak list ended at 29 games. That's not surprising as many observers consider Joltin' Joe's streak the most difficult record to break in sports.

When an epidemic such as Zika threatens to sweep across the country, public-health workers and policy makers need some basic information in order to plan a strategic response to make the best use of limited resources to protect the public from the spread of the disease. Enter the mathematicians and statisticians.

When seasonally adjusted numbers continue to exhibit the influences of seasonal effects, much as first-quarter readings on gross domestic product have regularly been doing, statisticians refer to it as residual seasonality. And that effect hampers seasoned economists from making clear-eyed judgments on the strength of the economy.

Generational groupings are attractive to academics who want to measure social and cultural change. They’re coveted by marketers looking to capitalize on evolving consumer tastes. And they appeal to others seeking to exploit the perceived psyche of the different groups.

Retirement calculators employ different assumptions to help users predict whether their rate of savings will support their current lifestyle after they quit work.

Top honchos of the mutual fund sector debunk the belief that current expense ratios are high, argue in favour of consolidation of schemes, and highlight the changing role of technology

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While fundamentals are important, getting the management quality right is more so as mistakes on this count can be costly, says Vinit Sambre of DSP BlackRock Mutual Fund

Global uncertainties and weak corporate earnings are enough to give any fund manager the jitters

A wave of new technologies is giving people like Max Plansky, who are unable to speak due to a debilitating condition, a more personal synthetic voice. Photo/Video: Denise Blostein/The Wall Street Journal

The increased use of personal and commercial drones is raising questions about where they should be permitted to fly, and who should make that decision. The FAA estimates drone sales will reach 7 million by 2020. Photo: John Weber for The Wall Street Journal

Dipa Karmakar, the first female Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, will be performing one of the sport's most dangerous and difficult moves in Brazil in August. Photo: Karan Deep Singh/The Wall Street Journal

The transcript of President Trump's call with Ukraine shed light on a method for classifying documents that's even more top secret than top secret. WSJ spoke to a former National Security Council official to understand the intricacies of the White House server security system.

Men outnumber women nearly 2 to 1 on the first move up the management ladder. WSJ’s Vanessa Fuhrmans explains how this can hurt women right out of the gate.

Research shows that getting ahead requires constructive criticism. But many women don’t get those frank assessments.

Women are less likely to delegate than men and that might hurt their careers. WSJ's Michelle Ma explains why women have a harder time passing off work to others.

At the Make in India event, the DIPP secretary said some of this work will be outsourced to the IITs

This investment is in addition to Rs 1,000 crore investment for a greenfield plant in Bengluru announced last year

Interview with President, Boeing India

Food Processing Minister pushes for national e-platform bypassing mandis for farmers, food producers

Soft drink maker to put in Rs 500 cr to set up juice factory; Monsanto identifies Buldhana district for a seed plant