NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks edged higher early Wednesday ahead of inflation data and a deluge of bank earnings at the end of the week.

Stocks rallied Monday, but mostly fell on Tuesday. Analysts have described the choppiness as reflective of a market seeking a positive catalyst after a strong finale to 2023.

The consumer price index report due Thursday will affect the market’s expectations for monetary policy, while Friday’s bank earnings should provide a window into the health of consumers and businesses.

US stocks retreat after November trade data

About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.2 percent at 37,585.74.

The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.1 percent to 4,762.63, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index also added 0.1 percent at 14,868.00.

Juniper Networks rose 1.7 percent after announcing an agreement to be bought by Hewlett Packard Enterprise for about $14 billion. HPE, which said the deal would bolster its networking capacities to customers, slipped 0.3 percent.