Dow up nearly 300 points | Wall Street braces for Biden | Texas pauses reopening

Stocks alternated between gains and losses, but ended the day higher.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE THU, JUN 25, 2020 EVENING BRIEF AS OF THU, JUN 25, 2020 • 04:33 ET DJIA 25745.60 +1.18% +299.66 S&P 500 3083.76 +1.10% +33.43 NASDAQ 10017.00 +1.09% +107.84   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG BA 174.88 -1.81 -1.02% AAPL 364.84 +4.78 +1.33% MSFT 200.34 +2.50 +1.26% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAL 13.17 +0.13 +1.00% GE 6.68 +0.15 +2.30% F 6.03 +0.08 +1.34% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAL 13.17 +0.13 +1.00% UAL 34.69 +1.62 +4.90% TMUS 110.19 +1.76 +1.62% EDITOR'S NOTE The alarming rise in Covid-19 cases didn't hamper stocks on Thursday.   CNBC's Tom Franck writes that as cases increase, some investors are watching the median age of those infected. In Florida, it has fallen from age 55 in March to under 35 in June, according to data from Evercore ISI. Younger people are less likely to suffer serious complications requiring hospitalizations. They are betting this makes it less likely states need to shut down again.   Markets also digested the latest jobless claims report. Initial claims came in higher than expected with 1.48 million workers filing for unemployment benefits. One positive from the report was that continuing claims fell below the 20 million mark, indicating that at least some people are getting back to work as the economy reopens.   The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung between gains and losses on Thursday, at one point falling as much as 236.15 points. But the index ended the session with a gain because of a late-day surge.   Mike Loewengart, managing director of investment strategy at E-Trade, said more bouncy rides are to be expected. "While it's certainly uncomfortable, the everyday investor should be used to ongoing market volatility at this point."     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 closes nearly 300 points higher after late-day surge, banks jump Texas pauses reopening plan and elective surgeries as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise Wall Street executives brace for a potential Biden win as Trump fades in polls Bank stocks surge after regulators ease Volcker Rule, JPMorgan Chase climbs 2% Total of those receiving unemployment benefits falls below 20 million Track the latest coronavirus news here As rising virus cases spook markets, investors watching these metrics are not turning bearish yet Here's how Biden's polling lead over Trump compares with past presidential races The 'consumerization of healthcare' is a $600 billion opportunity for these stocks, UBS says Airlines warn passengers: Wear a mask or you can't fly     TOP VIDEO Andrew Puzder on prospects for a post-pandemic economic recovery   CNBC PRO Mike Santoli's market notes: Summer sideways phase, banks get relief, Spotify the next Netflix?   SPECIAL REPORTS PayPal vs. Square: Traders take their pick on high-flying payments stocks this year One under-the-radar cloud stock could be headed higher as tech stumbles: Trader   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