By Will Horner
U.S. stock futures ticked higher Wednesday ahead of key inflation data and a vote by lawmakers on impeaching President Trump during his final week in office.
Futures tied to the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up less than 0.2%, suggesting that both indexes will post modest advances for a second day. Nasdaq-100 futures ticked up almost 0.3%.
Stocks have drifted lower this week after notching record highs in early January as investors weighed the prospect of fresh government spending against political turmoil in Washington and still rising Covid-19 cases. Energy and banking are among the best performers so far in the new year as investors bet on companies that fared poorly in 2020 and are likely to benefit as the economy recovers.
"Markets are going to remain choppy for a while, but through it all, we remain cautiously optimistic," said Altaf Kassam, head of investment strategy for State Street Global Advisors in Europe. "The amount of fiscal stimulus that is possible will protect risky assets, and there is still a lot of cash on the sidelines."
U.S. inflation data, set to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET, is likely to show that consumer prices increased only moderately last month, reflecting weak demand for a range of goods and services. Some economists expect inflation to pick up the pace as the economy grows faster later this year.
The Federal Reserve's beige book report, due at 2 p.m. ET, will offer the latest collection of business anecdotes across Fed districts, offering insights into how companies view the economy's prospects.
"We know the economy is going to be bigger at some point, so the market is willing to look forward," said Willem Sels, chief market strategist at HSBC Private Banking. "We are still in a risk-on environment."
A selloff in U.S. government bonds eased late Tuesday following strong demand for an auction of new 10-year notes. On Wednesday, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged down to 1.121%, from 1.136% on Tuesday. Bond yields fall as the price rises.
Bond yields are unlikely to climb much further, Mr. Kassam said.
"Rates are capped where they are now, and the Fed has effectively got a form of yield curve control in place because they have a commitment to buy bonds," he said. "I don't think we will see rates move much higher, because there is still a lot of demand."
House lawmakers plan to vote Wednesday on impeaching the president for the second time, just days before he is due to leave office. While the political rancor has weighed on market sentiment in recent days, most money managers are looking past the developments in Washington to focus on the prospects for additional fiscal stimulus.
"The market is largely focusing on the fundamentals around a Biden administration," said Mr. Sels.
Overseas, the Stoxx Europe 600 edged up 0.2%.
In Asia, major indexes ended the day mixed. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose over 1%, and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.7%. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.3%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng ticked down 0.2%.
Write to Will Horner at William.Horner@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-13-21 0529ET
