Stock market today: futures edge higher ahead of key inflation report

• US stock futures were on the up ahead of Tuesday's opening bell.

• Oil prices hit almost $83 a barrel ahead of reports that should help indicate global energy demand.

• Investors will be eyeing the February CPI report, set to be released at 8.30 a.m. ET.

US futures were trading up ahead of Tuesday's opening bell as Wall Street awaits the release of a key inflation report, which will help inform when the Fed might start cutting interest rates.

S&P 500 futures were up 0.2% and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.44% despite mega-cap Nvidia and Meta Platforms stumbling on Monday. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dipped 0.04% shortly before 6 a.m. ET.

Yields on 10-year treasury notes were flat, while Brent Crude oil was edging towards $83 a barrel after closing 0.2% higher on Monday.

OPEC's monthly report and industry figures on US stockpiles are due later, giving traders an indication of how global energy demand is holding up.

Wall Street awaits inflation data due from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at 8.30 a.m. ET. Markets are expecting a monthly increase of 0.4% and a headline annual figure of 3.1%. Core CPI inflation is expected to be 0.3%, which would be in line with the hotter-than-expected January CPI report.

Last week, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the central bank needs "just a bit more evidence" that inflation is headed toward its 2% target before lowering borrowing costs.

"There's not expected to be a cut in US rates until the June meeting, and even that remains on a knife edge. For now, the fact rates will come down at some point seems enough to keep markets happy. But if expectations continue to get pushed back investors will need to face a higher for longer reality," Hargreaves Lansdown's Matt Britzman wrote in a morning note.

Americsource Bergen is among the companies set to report their earnings on Tuesday.

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