The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index erased earlier losses to close flat, up 0.32 of a point, or 0.02 percent, to 1,413.49 yesterday after minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting indicated the central bank might be ready for another round of stimulus.

Minutes from the July 31-Aug. 1 meeting suggested the Fed is likely to deliver another round of monetary stimulus “fairly soon” unless the economy improves considerably.

Among the most actively traded US stocks was Dell, down 5.4 percent at $11.68 a day after warning of a challenging second half and slashing its full-year earnings outlook.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 30.82 points, or 0.23 percent, to 13,172.76. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 6.41 points, or 0.21 percent, to 3,073.67.