NEW YORK — U.S. equity futures showed minimal fluctuations on Thursday evening after the S&P 500 hit a record high, bolstered by renewed enthusiasm around artificial intelligence investments.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 62 points, or 0.1%, while S&P 500 futures decreased by 0.07%. Nasdaq 100 futures also faced a slight decline, down 0.09%.

In after-hours trading, investors analyzed new corporate earnings reports. Ulta Beauty saw its stock rise about 3% following a favorable full-year outlook. Conversely, shares of Autodesk surged more than 10% after exceeding earnings expectations. Dell Technologies, however, faced a 5% drop due to a soft outlook for the upcoming quarter.

The S&P 500 recently closed up 0.3% at 6,501.86, marking its first finish above the 6,500 threshold. Earlier in the day, the index achieved an all-time intraday high. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.5%, while the Dow finished approximately 0.2% higher at 45,636.90—a new record for the index.

Nvidia’s unexpectedly strong quarterly earnings played a significant role in boosting investor sentiment regarding AI stocks. Although initial reports raised concerns about the company’s data center division and only slightly better-than-expected revenue, Nvidia’s results ultimately rallied peer chip stocks that had initially declined. Nvidia’s stock closed down by less than 1% for the day.

According to Tom Lee, co-founder and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, the rapid adoption of AI technology indicates that the market has just begun to explore its potential. He stated that those anticipating a peak in AI investments might be underestimating the pace of its development, suggesting that we are in the early stages of this transformative period.

As the month of August approaches its end, attention will shift to upcoming inflation data coinciding with the release of the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index. Economists surveyed predict a July increase of 0.2% for the month and 2.6% year-over-year.

With three major indexes hovering at or near record levels, August has generally been a positive month for investors. The Dow has shown a slight 0.01% increase week-to-date, with a total monthly advance of 3.4%. The S&P 500 has gained 0.5% thus far this week and 2.6% for the month. The tech-heavy Nasdaq has risen about 1% this week, contributing to a total August gain of 2.8%.

As market conditions evolve, investors continue to navigate through volatile earnings reports and shifting economic indicators, remaining cautious but optimistic about future growth.