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S&P 500 Hits Record High as AI Stocks Surge

8/15/2026

Summary

AI Stocks Surge

The S&P 500 closed at a record high on 14 August 2026, gaining 0.65%.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.81% to 26,588.49, reflecting strong tech momentum.
AI-related stocks surged, with Nebius up 34%, CoreWeave up 19%, Super Micro up 19%, Nvidia up 3% and Micron up 4.9%.
The semiconductor index climbed 2.5% as investors chased AI infrastructure bets.
Asian equities were mixed, European markets edged modestly, and South Africa’s indices each fell about 0.8%.

Summary

Paulsen Warns Earnings

Jim Paulsen, former Leuthold Group chief investment strategist, warned earnings momentum fell to 122 S&P 500 firms, down from a 2020 peak of 163.
FactSet said 86% of S&P 500 firms beat Q2 expectations and the 10-year Treasury yield is about 4.63%.
Paulsen noted that Brent crude traded near $87 a barrel and that commodity-price peaks have historically preceded declines in S&P 500 earnings per share.

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AI Stocks Surge

The S&P 500 closed at a record high on 14 August 2026, gaining 0.65%.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.81% to 26,588.49, reflecting strong tech momentum.
AI-related stocks surged, with Nebius up 34%, CoreWeave up 19%, Super Micro up 19%, Nvidia up 3% and Micron up 4.9%.
The semiconductor index climbed 2.5% as investors chased AI infrastructure bets.
Asian equities were mixed, European markets edged modestly, and South Africa’s indices each fell about 0.8%.

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