Markets were choppy on Wednesday while oil prices eased as investors eyed signs that the US and Iran were closing in on a deal that would open up the Strait of Hormuz and avoid a resumption of the Middle East war.However, the White House called an Iranian state television report about a framework deal with the US to end the Middle East war a “complete fabrication”.Brent crude for July delivery traded lower at $96.61 (€83.07) a barrel, down from $100.18 on Tuesday.DublinEuronext Dublin finished up 0.5 per cent after a tumultuous day’s trading full of swings and roundabouts as investors tried to keep pace with changing events in the Middle East.“There were headlines that things were resolved, and then the US denied that,” said a trader. “It was going on for the afternoon, and this is nearly a daily event now. The market is very sensitive to those kind of headlines at the minute.”AIB slipped 1.9 per cent after the bank announced its chief financial officer Donal Galvin is to leave, raising fresh questions about bonus restrictions at the lender. Meanwhile, Bank of Ireland was down 1 per cent at the close.It was a good day for the food names as Glanbia climbed 2.9 per cent, while food ingredients giant Kerry Group rose 1.8 per cent to claw back some of the ground lost on Tuesday.The index was also boosted by heavy hitters Ryanair and Kingspan, which closed up 1.9 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.LondonThe FTSE 100 nudged up 0.1 per cent amid the fresh hopes for progress in talks between the US and Iran. The FTSE 250 ended up 0.3 per cent, and the Aim All-Share rose 0.1 per cent.On the FTSE 100, the oil price fall hit BP, down 2.7 per cent, and Shell, down 2.3 per cent.Elsewhere, British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines gained 3.1 per cent, retailers JD Sports Fashion and Marks & Spencer rose 5.1 per cent and 4.3 per cent, while housebuilder Barratt Redrow gained 2.3 per cent as bond yields cooled.The FTSE 250 saw big moves for Hollywood Bowl, up 15 per cent, and Pets at Home, up 6.5 per cent.EuropeEuropean shares, enjoying a boost from auto and chemical stocks, hovered near all-time highs even as market participants kept a wary eye on Middle East tensions.The pan-European Stoxx 600 index slipped 0.05 per cent, while Europe’s broad FTSEurofirst 300 index lost 0.03 per cent. MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe rose 0.12 per cent.Elsewhere, the Cac 40 in Paris ended up 0.4 per cent, and the Dax 40 in Frankfurt closed down slightly. Spain raised €13 billion in a syndicated sale of 10-year benchmark bonds, according to the Treasury. The sale attracted high demand the Treasury said “once again underscores investor confidence in the Spanish economy amid heightened international geopolitical uncertainty”.New YorkThe S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were muted in choppy trading, as investors remained cautious while awaiting progress in Middle East talks.Seven of the 11 main S&P 500 sectors were in the positive territory, with consumer discretionary leading the gains, up almost 2 per cent. Tech shares shed 1 per cent after reaching an all-time high on Tuesday.Chip stocks were down after a strong rally. Intel and Marvell Technology fell over 4 per cent each, while Qualcomm shed 9.2 per cent.The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index lost 2.7 per cent, with chip giant Nvidia off 2.3 per cent.JPMorgan shares dropped 3.3 per cent after CEO Jamie Dimon said expenses for the year could be $1 billion higher than earlier estimates. Among other movers, GlobalFoundries fell 11.6 per cent after Bloomberg News reported that majority owner Mubadala Investment Company was seeking to raise $1.91 billion from an unregistered block sale of GFS shares. (Additional reporting: Agencies)