08:53 AM EDT, 09/27/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were slightly higher ahead of Friday's opening bell as traders digested a key reading on US inflation and other economic data.

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

Oil prices were little changed, with global benchmark North Sea Brent crude slipping 0.2% at $70.97 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude nearly flat at $67.68 per barrel.

The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, released at 8:30 am ET, came at 0.1% in August, in line with estimates compiled by Bloomberg and smaller than the 0.2% gain previously. Meanwhile, the core measure, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, rose 0.1% for the month, compared with estimates for a 0.2% gain to match the previous reading.

US trade in goods deficit, also released at 8:30 am ET, narrowed to $94.26 billion in August from $102.84 billion previously, compared with estimates for a $100.2 billion gap.

Consumer sentiment, due at 10 am ET, is expected at 69.0 in the final reading for September, unchanged from the preliminary reading.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 2.3% higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 3.6% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 2.9% higher. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 gained 0.4% and Germany's DAX index rose 1.1% in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb ( BMY ) were 4% higher pre-bell after the US Food and Drug Administration approved the company's schizophrenia drug. Establishment Labs ( ESTA ) shares rose 22% after the company secured US Food and Drug Administration approval for Motiva breast implants.

On the losing side, Aytu BioPharma ( AYTU ) shares slumped 12% after the company reported weaker fiscal Q4 financial results. enVVeno Medical (NVNO) shares fell 18% after pricing a $15 million public offering of common shares and pre-funded warrants.