{"slug": "s-p-500-hits-record-high-on-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes", "title": "S&P 500 hits record high on strong AI-linked earnings, Middle East deal hopes", "summary": "The S&P 500 hit an intraday record high on Tuesday (Aug 4), driven by strong AI-linked earnings from Caterpillar and Palantir and hopes for a Middle East deal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 462.8 points, or 0.87 per cent, to 53,641.21 at the open, while the S&P 500 rose 30.1 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 7,630.62, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 174.1 points, or 0.67 per cent, to 26,088.042.", "body_md": "# S&P 500 hits record high on strong AI-linked earnings, Middle East deal hopes\n\nRecent gains have been driven by strong earnings from artificial intelligence heavyweights\n\n[BENGALURU] Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 hit an intraday record high for the first time since early June on Tuesday (Aug 4), boosted by upbeat artificial intelligence-driven forecasts from Caterpillar and Palantir and hopes for an imminent deal to end tensions in the Middle East.\n\nRecent gains on Wall Street have been driven by strong earnings from [AI heavyweights such as Amazon](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/amazon-enters-us3-trillion-club-wall-street-opens-higher-middle-east-deal-hopes) and Microsoft that reassured investors that their billion-dollar investments were yielding returns.\n\nThe blue-chip Dow was also trading at a fresh intraday record high.\n\nThe S&P 500 had retreated from all-time highs as tensions between Iran and the US resurfaced in early June, and concerns about elevated valuations following a strong second-quarter rally weighed on AI-related stocks through July.\n\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 462.8 points, or 0.87 per cent, at the open to 53,641.21.\n\nThe S&P 500 rose 30.1 points, or 0.4 per cent, at the open to 7,630.62, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 174.1 points, or 0.67 per cent, to 26,088.042 at the opening bell. REUTERS\n\nDecoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.\n\nShare with us your feedback on BT's products and services\n\n[TRENDING NOW](/pulse?ref=trending-now)\n\nHong Leong, GuocoLand JV sole bidder for condo plot on former Keppel Club site\n\nYeoh Pei Xien: YTL’s third-gen scion with a pastor’s heart\n\nLower consent hurdle among changes proposed for en bloc sales to spur redevelopment, protect minority owners\n\nNvidia will soon face a chip limit, warns Huawei’s top scientist", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/s-p-500-hits-record-high-on-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes", "canonical_source": "https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/capital-markets-currencies/sp-500-hits-record-high-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes", "published_at": "2026-08-04 13:52:51+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-04 14:25:33.967557+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["S&P 500", "Caterpillar", "Palantir", "Amazon", "Microsoft", "Dow Jones Industrial Average", "Nasdaq Composite"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/s-p-500-hits-record-high-on-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/s-p-500-hits-record-high-on-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/s-p-500-hits-record-high-on-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/s-p-500-hits-record-high-on-strong-ai-linked-earnings-middle-east-deal-hopes.jsonld"}}