Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were muted on Thursday as Nvidia's stellar quarterly results garnered a lukewarm response from investors and downbeat earnings from software company Salesforce weighed on sentiment.

Taking cues from the AI relief rally stateside, Asian markets moved higher, with South Korea’s Kospi adding 1.9% and Japan’s Nikkei tacking on 2.2% -- both hitting fresh records. A lift in Bitcoin (BTC) is also boosting sentiment. For the session, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and China’s Shanghai Composite both added 0.7%.

Nvidia and Salesforce earnings weigh on US stock futures; Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq-100 fall as investors await Warner Bros. and Dell results.

The S&P 500 rose 0.81% to end at 6,946.13, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.26% to 23,152.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 307.65 points, or 0.63%, to 49,482.15.

S&P 500 regains 50-day line, but up-and-down market tough to handle.

Futures unchanged as Nvidia beat fails to spark broader market rally. Salesforce outlook drags software shares amid AI disruption fears. Investors await proof that heavy AI spending can drive profits.

S&P 500 futures are up 0.1%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are climbing 0.1%. Nasdaq 100 futures are adding 0.2%. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 370 points, or 0.76%, to 49,174.

The prospects for AI to sustain build-out spending and to harm legacy industries continue to be front of mind for Wall Street.