U.S. stock-index futures climbed higher on Tuesday as traders parsed through a deluge of important economic reports.
As of 9:13 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 36 points to 15423, S&P 500 futures gained 3.5 points to 1691 and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 6 points to 3131.
After a quiet start to the week on Monday, traders had no lack of information to parse through on the day.
The Commerce Department said retail sales ticked higher by 0.2% in July from June, narrowly missing estimates of a 0.3% gain. Excluding the automobile component, sales climbed 0.5%, topping estimates of a 0.4% increase. There have been worries that stagnant wage growth and higher payroll taxes could weigh on consumers.
Meanwhile, The Labor Department reported import prices edged higher by 0.2% in July from June, shy of estimates of a 0.6% increase. Export prices dipped 0.1%, compared to forecasts of a 0.2% rise.
The Zew survey of German investor sentiment leapt higher to 42 in August from 36.3 the month prior, easily beating estimates of 39.9. The data suggest Europe&apos;s powerhouse economy is picking up steam as the eurozone debt crisis subsides and the continent&apos;s economic engine revs up.
Elsewhere, activist investor Bill Ackman resigned from J.C. Penney&apos;s (NYSE:JCP) board of directors. The struggling retailer said Ronald Tysoe will join the board as it seeks one additional candidate.
Oil prices climbed by 46 cents, or 0.49%, to $106.60 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline jumped 0.91% to $2.93 a gallon. In metals, gold slumped $7.20, or 0.56%, to $1,326 a troy ounce.
The Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.27% to 2835, the English FTSE 100 ticked up 0.47% to 6605 and the German DAX jumped 0.69% to 8417.
In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 surged 2.6% to 13867 and the Chinese Hang Seng rallied 1.2% to 22451.