Futures related to U.S. stocks ticked up in pre-market trading on Thursday, after the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose to fresh records in the previous session, as investors weighed signs of easing tensions between Washington and Tehran and awaited a fresh round of earnings and economic data.

Sentiment was supported by growing hopes of a possible diplomatic breakthrough after President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Wednesday that the Iran conflict was “very close to over” and that Tehran was eager to strike a deal.

A White House official also told CNBC that a second round of U.S.-Iran talks was under discussion, though no date has been set.

Meanwhile,…

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