U.S. equity futures nudged higher in early Wednesday trading, while the dollar eased and Treasury yields steadied, as investors braced for a crucial December inflation report that could define the market's direction over the coming weeks.

Rising Treasury yields are ratcheting up the anxiety for equity investors. Thursday’s stock-market closure offered only a brief reprieve from the mounting tension.

Asian stocks are mixed after Wall Street’s mostly positive performance ahead of key U.S. inflation data that could influence the pace of the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts