U.S. equity futures nudged higher in early Wednesday trading, while the dollar eased and Treasury yields steadied, as investors braced for a crucial December inflation report that could define the market's direction over the coming weeks.

Asian stocks are mixed after Wall Street’s mostly positive performance ahead of key U.S. inflation data that could influence the pace of the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts

Wall Street pointed modestly higher early Tuesday ahead of new data on inflation and the kickoff to earnings season. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each ticked up 0.3% before the bell.