U.S. stock futures were little changed Tuesday, after the major averages snapped a three-day decline, as traders await key inflation data slated for release later in the week.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials jumped 39 points, or 0.1%, to 34,185.
Futures for the S&P 500 gained eight points, or 0.2%, to 4,442.25.
Futures for the NASDAQ hiked 32.75 points, or 0.2%, to 15,219.50.
Investors are coming off a positive session for the major averages. On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 209.52 points, or 0.62%, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.24%. The NASDAQ lagged, rising just 0.18%.
Second-quarter earnings season kicks off later this week with results from “systemically important financial institutions” such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup, plus BlackRock, PepsiCo and Delta Air. Dow component UnitedHealth reports Friday.
The June consumer price index report set for release Wednesday, as well as the June producer price index due out Thursday, will shed light on whether the decline in inflation has continued, and create the backdrop for future direction of interest rates.
Investors have penciled in another quarter-point increase at the Federal Reserve's July 25-26 meeting. But they are undecided about what the central bank will do at its September meeting after last week's continued robust jobs data raised concern that policymakers will revert to raising rates following the June pause.
On the economic front, June's NFIB Small Business Index, a measure of business confidence, is set for release Tuesday before the bell.
Economists polled by Dow Jones are anticipating a reading of 90.0, slightly higher than the 89.4 level in May.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 13.84 points Tuesday, while markets in Hong Kong zoomed more than 1%
Oil prices inched up six cents to $71.86 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices climbed $7.60 to $1,923. U.S. an ounce.