Stock futures ticked higher on Monday as investors gear up for a data-heavy week that includes two closely watched readings on inflation. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 81 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.2%, while Nasdaq-100 futures advanced 0.4%. Investors are awaiting two critical inflation reports this week for more insight into the health of the economy, after weaker-than-expected hiring data on Friday. The producer price index report for August is due out Wednesday morning, followed by the consumer price index on Thursday. The data follows the lackluster August jobs report that helped fuel investor hope that the Federal Reserve is all but assured to lower benchmark interest rates at its policy meeting later this month. The jobs figures also raised the prospect of a half-point rate cut, per trading data from the FedWatch tool. “The weak jobs report supports our view that we’re transitioning to early cycle — from rolling recession to rolling recovery,” Morgan Stanley strategist Michael Wilson said in a Monday note. “Near-term risk is tied to whether the monetary policy response is significant enough. Potential choppiness in the short-term should set up a strong finish into both [year-end] & 2026.” Investors will be watching the reports to gauge the economy’s resilience, hoping to gauge whether stocks can continue to trade at record highs. Heading into Monday trading, the S&P 500 is just 0.8% off its most recent record, alongside the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the 30-stock Dow, per FactSet data. Treasury yields were little changed on Monday as investors look toward key inflation data due later in the week. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell less than 1 basis point to 4.08%. The 2-year Treasury yield was down more than a basis point at 3.493%. The 30-year Treasury yield also dropped more than a basis point to 4.762%. Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher Monday as investors assessed Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation announcement over the weekend, as well as China exports data. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.45% to close at 43,643.81 following the prime minister’s statement, which came after weeks of mounting pressure over his national election defeat late last year. The Topix climbed 1.06% to close at a record high of 3,138.2. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.45% to close at 3,219.59 while the small-cap Kosdaq jumped 0.89% to 818.6. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.8%, while the mainland’s CSI 300 added 0.16% to close at 4,467.57 after China’s August exports climbed by a less-than-expected 4.4% in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier. Reuters-polled economists had estimates a 5.0% rise. Imports also grew less than expected due to the persistent real estate slump, rising job insecurity, among other factors. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.24% to end the trading day at 8,849.6. Oil prices climbed more than $1 on Monday, regaining some of last week’s losses, after OPEC+’s output hike was seen as modest and due to concerns over the possibility of more sanctions on Russian crude. “The market had run ahead of itself in regards to this OPEC+ increase,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. “Today we’re seeing a classic sell the rumour, buy the fact reaction.” Brent crude climbed $1.16, or 1.8%, to $66.66 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.09, or 1.8%, to $62.96 a barrel. Both benchmarks fell more than 2% on Friday as a weak U.S. jobs report dimmed the outlook for energy demand. They lost more than 3% last week. Gold prices rose to a record high on Monday, breaking through a key $3,600 level after soft U.S. jobs data cemented expectations of an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve at its meeting next week. Spot gold was up 0.7% at $3,612.20 per ounce. Bullion rose to a record high of $3,616.64 earlier in the session. Bullion has surged 37% so far this year, building on a 27% gain in 2024, driven by a weaker dollar, strong central bank buying, a soft monetary policy backdrop, and geopolitical and economic uncertainty. U.S. gold futures for December delivery were unchanged at $3,653.10.