08:58 AM EDT, 09/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were flat before Tuesday's opening bell as traders stayed on the sidelines ahead of key inflation data due for release later in the week.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.1% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.2% higher.

Investors are looking ahead to the producer price index report for August due on Wednesday and the consumer price index for the same month due on Thursday.

Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 0.9% at $66.58 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 0.9% higher at $62.83 per barrel.

The National Federation of Independent Business' Small Business Optimism Index, released at 6 am ET, rose to a reading of 100.8 in August from 100.3 in July.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.4% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.2% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.5% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE was up 0.3%, and Germany's DAX index was down 0.4% in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, Tourmaline Bio ( TRML ) shares were 58% higher after the company said it has agreed to be acquired by Novartis ( NVS ) for $48 per share in cash, or a total equity value of about $1.40 billion. Nebius Group ( NBIS ) stock was up 53%, a day after the company said it has secured a multi-billion-dollar deal to deliver artificial intelligence infrastructure to Microsoft ( MSFT ) .

On the losing side, PACS Group ( PACS ) shares were 14% lower, a day after the company said that Chief Financial Officer Derick Apt resigned after an investigation found that he accepted "a series of high-value items" from certain individuals in violation of company policies.