* Fed's Yellen: "appropriate" for rate hike later in 2015
* Euro off before Greek parliament vote on latest bailout
* Oil prices fall on concerns about rising Iranian exports (Updates market action, changes dateline, previous LONDON)
By Richard Leong
NEW YORK, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. stock prices held steady on Wednesday as Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen affirmed a likely interest rate increase by year-end, while the euro fell ahead of a Greek government vote on whether to accept tough terms for a vital third bailout.
Oil prices fell on worries of growing supply from Iran following a landmark deal that would lift sanctions that have curbed its oil sales for several years. ID:nL4N0ZV25H
"If the economy evolves as we expect, economic conditions likely would make it appropriate at some point this year to raise the federal funds rate," Yellen said in a testimony prepared for a U.S. House panel. ID:nN9N0ZU000 FED/DIARY
Economists reckoned the U.S. central bank will likely end its near-zero rate policy in September, while traders bet such a move would occur in December.
While a Fed "lift-off" raises domestic borrowing costs, the expected slow pace of rate normalization shouldn't cut much into corporate profits, analysts said.
"The Fed just wants to catch up with it and get to more normalized levels," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.
In early U.S. trading, the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 5.64 points, or 0.03 percent, to 18,059.22, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 1.92 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,110.87 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 13.02 points, or 0.26 percent, to 5,117.91.
The dollar strengthened against a basket of currencies, with the dollar index last up 0.5 percent at 97.10 .DXY .
Benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasuries yields US10YT=RR edged up 1 basis point at 2.412 percent. US/
As traders monitored fresh clues on the timing of a Fed rate increase, they awaited news on whether Greece's parliament will approve a third bailout to avert bankruptcy and a possible exit from the euro zone currency bloc.
The euro was down 0.4 percent against the dollar at $1.09680 EUR=EBS and was flat at 135.845 yen EURJPY=EBS .
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 was up 0.4 percent to 1,586.80, rising five days in a row.
Yields on German Bunds DE10YT=TWEB fell nearly 7 basis points to 0.78 percent. GVD/EUR
Steady to higher U.S. and European equity prices offset the drop in some Asian and emerging market stocks despite better-than-expected Chinese economic data. ID:nB9N0ZK00L
In the oil market, Brent crude LCOc1 was down 83 cents or 1.4 percent at $57.66 a barrel, while U.S. oil futures CLc1 were down 77 cents or 1.4 percent at $52.27. O/R
Spot gold prices XAU= were down 0.7 percent at $1,147.21 an ounce. GOL/