U.S. stocks rose modestly in choppy trade on Tuesday as investors gauged inflation data and braced for quarterly earnings reports to justify stock valuations and the strength of the U.S. economy. Stocks received an initial lift after a Labor Department report showed the producer price index rose less than expected in December,

Wall Street pointed modestly higher early Tuesday ahead of new data on inflation and the kickoff to earnings season. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each ticked up 0.3% before the bell.

U.S. stocks are ticking higher Tuesday following an encouraging update on inflation. The S&P 500 was 0.5% higher in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 164 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.