Stock futures were little changed early Wednesday as investors awaited an important inflation report expected to show prices rising at the fastest pace in nearly 40 years.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials surged 50 points, or 0.1%, to 36,178.
Futures for the S&P 500 acquired 6.25 points, or 0.1%, to 4,711.25.
Futures for the NASDAQ added 37.25 points, or 0.1%, to 15,868.25.
The moves come as investor await the December reading for the consumer price index, a gauge of prices across a broad spectrum of goods.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect CPI to have risen 7% from a year ago, the most since the summer of 1982, and 0.4% from November. Excluding food and energy, core CPI is projected to have increased 5.4% and 0.5% respectively.
In individual stocks, Dish Network jumped 7.4% in pre-market trading following news that the company is again in merger talks with DirectTV, according to sources who spoke with the New York Post. Reopening stocks also gained, with Norwegian Cruise Lines up 1.9% and Hilton Worldwide Holdings rising 1.2%.
On the downside, Biogen shares tumbled nearly 10% following news that Medicare will only cover the cost for the company's Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm for patients with early-stage symptoms who are enrolled in clinical trials.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 bounced 1.9% higher, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong soared 2.8%.
Oil prices jumped 40 cents to $81.62 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices moved higher 80 cents to $1,819.30 U.S. an ounce.