World stocks are mixed follow 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.

Investors are gearing up for December's crucial consumer price index to determine the direction of Fed policy.

Most U.S. stocks rose Tuesday following an encouraging update on inflation, though drops for Eli Lilly and other influential stocks kept indexes in check. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% as three out of every four stocks in the index climbed.

US stocks gained after cooler-than-expected producer price index data soothed inflation concerns. The numbers on Tuesday showed wholesale inflation rose 0.2% in December on a monthly basis, compared to an estimated 0.4% increase. The reading climbed 3.3% from a year ago, below the projected 3.5% gain.

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.