U.S. Utilities are accustomed to dealing with storm restoration and routinely handling crisis management, but COVID-19 is bringing new challenges for Utilities in a different way.

EBRD shareholders agreed to a comprehensive series of response and recovery measures that strengthen the Bank’s Solidarity Package , which was first unveiled on 13 March. The Bank now stands ready to provide support worth €21 billion over the 2020-21 period.

leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) major economies said they were spending over $5 trillion, equivalent to 7.4 percent of 2019 G20 countries’ gross domestic product (GDP),

The upsized package will total 117.1 trillion yen ($1.086 trillion), with fiscal measures making up less than half of it, the Ministry of Finance said.

The deal calls on OPEC, Russia and nine other allies to cut 9.7 million b/d of crude production in May and June, ramping down to 7.7 million b/d for the second half of 2020, and then 5.8 million b/d for all of 2021 through April 2022.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents a historic challenge. The prices of equities fell sharply, from previously overstretched levels. Oil prices plummeted in the face of weakening global demand and the failure of the OPEC+ countries to reach an agreement on output cuts.

Gold prices fell on Wednesday as investors locked in profits after strong recent gains. It was last at $1,711 an ounce.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 1.6%, after surging almost 8% since April 6 on early signs the health crisis was ebbing and on hopes that sweeping lockdown measures would soon be lifted.

The Australian dollar rose 0.7% to $0.6432, the New Zealand dollar firmed 0.6% to $0.6131 and the pound added 0.4% to $1.2562 - their strongest since mid-March.

France's finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the economy was now expected to contract 8% this year instead of the 6% flagged as recently as Thursday.