S&P 500 futures rose slightly Friday as traders awaited a key inflation print and got ready to wrap up the first quarter of 2023.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials gained 85 points, or 0.3%, to start the last session of the week, month and quarter at 33,129.
Futures for the S&P 500 picked up nine points, or 0.2%, to 4,089.
Futures for the NASDAQ Composite notched higher 3.25 points to 13,085.25.
Friday also marks the last day of the first quarter. The S&P 500 is ahead 5.5%, and NASDAQ is up 14.8%, for the quarter through Thursday's close. The Dow, however, has lost nearly 1%.
For the month, however, the three major averages are up. The S&P 500 has improved 2% and NASDAQ gained 4.9% in March. The Dow, meanwhile, is up 0.6% through Thursday's close.
The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures index, is due to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect that the core PCE, which excludes energy and food costs, gained 0.4% in February from the prior month and added 4.7% on an annualized basis.
Investors will be looking for signs that inflation is cooling, which could lead to the Fed wrapping up its rate-hiking campaign soon.
Personal income data and consumer spending will also be issued Friday morning. The final March reading of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index is due at 10 a.m. ET.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 surged 0.9% Friday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng grabbed 0.5%.
Oil prices climbed 55 cents to $74.92 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices inched up 50 cents to $1,998.20 U.S. an ounce.