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March 12 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index edged higher on Tuesday, buoyed by a rise in oil prices, while investors awaited a monthly reading of a crucial inflation print from the United States.

March futures on the S&P/TSX index SXFcv1 were up 0.3% at 6:50 a.m. ET (1050 GMT).

Oil prices rose as tensions in the Middle East continued to spur concern, but gains were capped by bearish demand sentiment ahead of monthly reports from oil agencies. O/R

Prices of most base metals moved mixed in tight ranges ahead of economic data in the US and China, while gold prices retreated from near record-high levels. GOL/MET/L

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended up 0.2% on Monday, stopping short of the near two-year high it notched in the last week. .TO

Among individual stocks, National Bank of CanadaNA.TOis exploring options for its Cambodian unit ABA Bank, including its sale for more than $2 billion in a deal, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

On the data front, a February reading of the consumer prices index (CPI) in the U.S. is due at 8:30 a.m. ET, that could guide expectations for an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve in the first half of the year.

Wall Street futures were mixed ahead of the inflation data. .N

The report is in the spotlight as it follows Fed Chair Jerome Powell's congressional testimony last week where he said that cuts were likely in coming months only if warranted by further evidence of falling inflation.

COMMODITIES AT 6:50 a.m. ET

Gold futures GCc2: $2,182.8; -0.3% GOL/

US crude CLc1: $78.41; +0.6% O/R

Brent crude LCOc1: $82.77; +0.7% O/R

(Reporting by Purvi Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Ravi Prakash Kumar)

((Purvi.Agarwal@thomsonreuters.com;))

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