U.S. stock futures were little changed Tuesday as investors braced for a key inflation report.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials gained 26 points, or 0.1%, to 34,245.
Futures for the S&P 500 forged ahead six points, or 0.1%, to 4,415.
Futures for the NASDAQ Composite Index advanced 24.5 points, or 0.2%, to 14,024.50.
The moves come as investors await the release of March's highly anticipated consumer price index on Tuesday. The data is expected to show an 8.4% annual increase in prices — the highest level since December 1981 — according to economists polled by Dow Jones, with rising food costs, rents and energy prices expected as the main contributors to the spike.
Oil prices jumped Tuesday morning with the international benchmark Brent crude jumping 4.3% to $102.74 per barrel. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 4.1% to $98.17 per barrel.
Along with March CPI, investors are awaiting the start of earnings season set to kick off Wednesday with JPMorgan and Delta Air Lines, followed by several big banks on Thursday.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 in Japan stumbled 1.8% Tuesday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng gained 0.5%.
Oil prices jumped $4.07 to $98.36 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices brightened $11.70 to $1,959.90 U.S.