Stocks surge on promise of a bailout as companies and workers navigate the crisis.

Walking through the Wall Street section of New York City on Monday.Credit...Stephanie Keith for The New York Times

The S&P 500 had its biggest daily gain since 2008 on Tuesday, rising more than 9 percent, as Congress neared agreement on a stimulus bill to stabilize America’s faltering economy. Shares of companies likely to receive bailouts, such as airlines, cruise lines and casinos, soared. Norwegian Cruise Lines was the best performing stock in the S&P 500 on Tuesday, jumping more than 40 percent, while Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines all rose more than 20 percent.

But investors are still fragile and could sour on stocks if the promised deal hits a snag again. The U.S. government will report weekly jobless claims on Thursday, and some analysts expect the data to show that millions of Americans became unemployed last week.

Reference: New York Times