Investing.com - US stock futures are steady ahead of the publication of a crucial US inflation report and the release of quarterly earnings from several banking giants. Economists predict that a gauge of consumer price growth that could play into the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy accelerated slightly in December. Meanwhile, with a post-election stock market surge possibly easing, investors are looking to the results from JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Goldman Sachs and other lenders to help reignite the rally.1. Futures steadyUS stock futures hovered around the flatline on Wednesday, as investors prepared for the release of key US inflation data and a slew of earnings from major Wall Street lenders.By 03:29 ET (08:29 GMT), the Dow futures contract, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were mostly unchanged.The main averages logged a mixed close following a choppy session on Tuesday, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipping and the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average and benchmark S&P 500 ending higher. A softer-than-expected reading of US producer price growth fueled an initial rise in equities, but the report was not enough to materially impact the outlook for the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.Traders were paying particularly close attention to a jump in airfare prices, which contribute to a crucial measure of inflation favored by Fed rate-setters.2. CPI aheadAttention now turns to the release of a gauge of consumer prices, which could provide further clarity around the state of inflation.Economists estimate that the headline consumer price index increased by 0.4% month-on-month in December, slightly faster than a pace of 0.3% in the prior month. Compared to a year earlier, CPI is seen at 2.9%, up from 2.7% in November.