09:18 AM EDT, 04/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US stocks were set to open slightly higher in Tuesday's trading session as investors looked ahead to March inflation data and the FOMC March meeting minutes slated for release on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.15%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.29%, and Nasdaq futures were moving 0.41% higher.

The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index, which was released earlier Tuesday, declined for the third straight month in March to 88.5 from 89.4 in February. Forecasters were expecting 88.8, according to Investing.com.

And the American Petroleum Institute's weekly crude oil stock report, an indicator of US petroleum demand, will be released later this afternoon after the market closes.

Oil prices were moving slightly lower, with front-month global benchmarks Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate crude declining 0.07% and 0.24% respectively.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei rose 1.08%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.57%, and China's Shanghai Composite edged up 0.05%. In Europe's early afternoon session, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.15%, while Germany's DAX and France's CAC were down 0.54% and 0.27% respectively.

On the winning side, shares of Laser Photonics' ( LASE ) soared 152% in premarket activity after it said Tuesday that it received an order for its LaserTower COMPACT marking and engraving system from L3Harris Technologies ( LHX ) . Acrivon Therapeutics ( ACRV ) jumped 69% after it said that it signed a $130 million private placement financing agreement. Biophytis ( BPTS ) advanced 32% after saying that it has launched a clinical development program to potentially treat obesity in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonists.

On the losing side, shares of shares of Vincerx Pharma ( VINC ) plunged 65%, adding to a 14% loss the previous session. Focus Universal ( FCUV ) stock fell 31%, more than erasing Monday's 6% gain. UTime Limited ( WTO ) shares shed 13%, after surging 62% on Monday. Shares of Tilray Brands ( TLRY ) tumbled 15% after it reported fiscal Q3 revenue that fell short of analyst forecasts. And shares of Maxeon Solar Technologies ( MAXN ) dropped 11% after it reported preliminary fiscal Q4 revenue and fiscal Q1 guidance late Tuesday that missed Street expectations.