Wall Street stocks hold steady near records as oil prices retreat on hopes for a US-Iran agreement to end the war in the Middle East, AFP reports.

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished at records on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran was “very possible,” but threatened more bombing if negotiations collapse.

About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 per cent at 49,958.88.

The broad-based S&P 500 was flat at 7,363.47, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite index edged up 0.1pc to 25,856.51.

Among individual companies, Whirlpool fell 12.4pc as it reported an $85 million loss on lower sales, saying that the Iran war “resulted in recession-level industry decline in the US as consumer confidence collapsed in late February and March”.