09:29 AM EDT, 03/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US stocks looked set to open modestly higher Tuesday as investors parsed durable goods and home price data and looked ahead to a key consumer confidence gauge.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.11%, S&P 500 futures were rising 0.21%, and Nasdaq futures were moving 0.28% higher.

The durable goods rose 1.4% in February, compared with a revised 6.9% decline in January, beating the consensus forecast for a an increase of 1.3%.

The Case-Shiller National Home Price Index fell by 0.1% in January before seasonal adjustment following a 0.4% decrease in December. Analysts were expecting a 0.2% increase.

The US Conference Board's consumer confidence indicator, slated for release at 10 am ET, is expected to rise slightly to 106.9 in March from 106.7 a month ago.

Oil prices were moving modestly higher, with front-month global benchmarks North Sea Brent crude up 0.2% at $86.24 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude rising 0.2% to $82.16 per barrel.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei was off 0.04%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.88%, and China's Shanghai Composite was up 0.17%. Meanwhile in Europe's early afternoon session, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.2%, while Germany's DAX and France's CAC were rising 0.76% and 0.31%, respectively.

On the winning side, Stoke Therapeutics ( STOK ) soared 75% in premarket activity Tuesday after it reported "landmark new data" Monday from two studies of children and adolescents with Dravet syndrome who were treated with STK-001. OpGen ( OPGN ) surged 99% after it said Monday that it has signed a securities purchase agreement under which private investor David Lazar will acquire 3 million shares of series E convertible preferred stock for gross proceeds of $3 million.

On the losing side, NeuBase Therapeutics ( NBSE ) was down more than 57% in recent Tuesday premarket activity, extending Monday's decline. AppTech Payments ( APCX ) shares were down 40% after saying that it announced the pricing of a $2 million underwritten public offering.