Dow closes above 25,000 | S&P 500 tops 3,000 | Historic space launch postponed

Stocks surged again on Wednesday, taking the Dow past 25,000.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE WED, MAY 27, 2020 EVENING BRIEF AS OF WED, MAY 27, 2020 • 04:49 ET DJIA 25548.27 +2.21% +553.16 S&P 500 3036.13 +1.48% +44.36 NASDAQ 9412.36 +0.77% +72.14   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG JPM 101.37 +5.55 +5.79% MSFT 181.81 +0.24 +0.13% BA 149.52 +4.79 +3.31% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG GE 7.29 +0.49 +7.21% BAC 25.98 +1.70 +7.00% F 6.03 +0.19 +3.25% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AMD 52.74 -0.45 -0.85% AAL 11.98 +0.84 +7.54% UAL 30.69 +1.15 +3.89% EDITOR'S NOTE In an economy like this, where everyone knows the lagging indicators will be horrible, it's good to peek at some anecdotal data.   Open Table reports its bookings for seated diners on May 26 were down 40% compared with the same day last year, and that's great news, because they were down 100% during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.   The data gives investors a glimpse at how things may go as the economy continues to reopen, writes CNBC's Tom Franck. If diners are quick to return to their favorite eateries, the economy may be on a better trajectory than we think. The question is whether restaurant employees are ready to go back to work. In a report released Wednesday, the Federal Reserve said business leaders have "cited challenges in bringing employees back to work, including workers' health concerns, limited access to childcare, and generous unemployment insurance benefits."   Stocks continue to climb higher despite anticipated downbeat assessments of the economy based on earlier data and research. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 25,000 on Wednesday for the first time since March.   "The market has been making a V-pattern upward and there's been a tremendous amount of skepticism around that," said Michael Darda, chief market strategist and chief economist at MKM Partners, "but we are just starting now to see some evidence in the data turning."   Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world. Al Lewis | CNBC Markets Editor @tellittoal TOP NEWS  Dow rallies more than 500 points for a second day, closes above 25,000 for first time since March SpaceX and NASA postpone historic astronaut launch due to bad weather Fed finds new challenge for the economy: Workers who don't want to come back to their jobs Pompeo declares that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China, threatening special status Track the latest coronavirus news here Goldman is bringing traders back to offices in New York and London in the 'next several weeks' Dr. Anthony Fauci says a second wave of coronavirus is 'not inevitable' Boeing is laying off more than 6,000 employees this week as coronavirus pandemic hurts demand Beware of these stocks facing long-term challenges in your portfolio, Morgan Stanley says Tuesday Morning is about to close 130 stores. Here's a map of where they are     TOP VIDEO Disney CEO Bob Chapek on reopening Disney World   CNBC PRO These are the best stocks to own now, according to two major types of investors tracked by Goldman   SPECIAL REPORTS Cramer says the stock market is too optimistic about an economic recovery — 'it's just not going to work like that' SoFi CEO says investor accounts have doubled in 2020, with 40% of stock trading in fractional shares   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2020 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS