BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. stock futures on Thursday pointed to a fourth session of strong rallies for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, as continued vote-counting in the presidential race favors Democrat Joe Biden but does not shut the door on President Donald Trump's chances for a second term in the White House. (CNBC)

Dow futures rose more than 300 points Thursday, one day after closing up 367 points. The Dow jumped more than 800 points, or about 3%, at Wednesday's highs. The blue chip average's three-session surge, which wiped about three-quarters of last week's worst decline since March, comes as investors look at the prospect of continued divided government taking tax hikes off the table in the event of a Biden win. (CNBC)

The Federal Reserve ends its two-day November meeting Thursday afternoon, with expectations of the status quo: near-zero percent interest rates and a continuation of the extraordinary monetary stimulus to support the U.S. economy during the coronavirus crisis. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell holds a 2:30 p.m. ET news conference shortly after central bankers release their policy statement. (CNBC)

The Labor Department on Thursday morning reported 751,000 new filings for unemployment benefits for the week ending Oct. 31. That's down slightly from 758,000 initial claims the prior week but slightly higher than expectations. This was the third straight week below 800,000. But the level is still well above historical norms. (CNBC)