United States stock futures were little changed on Wednesday evening (Thursday AEST) after Wall Street rallied on softer inflation data, declining Treasury yields and another round of encouraging corporate earnings.
By 10:20 am AEST (12:20 am GMT), Dow futures, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were trading 0.1% higher apiece
During regular trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 gained 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6%.
Investor sentiment was lifted after the latest U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) came in below expectations, adding to evidence that inflation is easing.
The data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve may be able to leave interest rates unchanged in the near term.
Strong earnings from major financial institutions also boosted confidence that corporate profit growth remains resilient despite moderating inflation.
Meanwhile, lower Treasury yields supported demand for growth stocks, particularly large-cap technology companies.
Attention now turns to Thursday's economic calendar, with investors awaiting U.S. retail sales and weekly initial jobless claims for fresh insight into the health of the economy.
The data will be closely watched for signs that economic activity is slowing enough to ease inflationary pressures without pushing the economy into a significant downturn.
Corporate earnings will also remain in focus. UnitedHealth is due to report before the opening bell, while Netflix will release its quarterly results after the market closes.
