Iran Stock Market Reopens Partially

Iran Stock Market Reopens Partially After Closure

Iran's stock market concluded a two-day controlled reopening on May 20, 2026, in Tehran, following a nearly three-month closure. The reopening allowed some investors to generate liquidity, but approximately 36 percent of the market's main players, representing 42 companies, remained offline to protect shareholders from the effects of the United States-Israel war.

The Securities and Exchange Organization extended trading windows by one hour during the reopening. Companies such as Fajr and Mobin petrochemicals, Khuzestan and Mobarakeh steel, utility firms, and investment companies with significant infrastructure investments affected by the conflict were among those excluded. Equity funds with over 35 percent of their portfolios in these affected companies also remained suspended. Measures implemented before the war limited share price fluctuations to 3 percent for the active two-thirds of the market.

During the two-day period, buy queues exceeded sell queues, and the equal-weight index showed marginal improvement. The TEDPIX, the main index of the Tehran Stock Exchange, recorded modest gains, adding 44,000 points on Wednesday to reach over 3,758,000. This follows a decline from an all-time high of nearly 4,500,000 at the start of 2026, attributed to nationwide protests, deteriorating economic conditions, and the onset of war. Iran's inflation rate exceeded 70 percent in late April, exacerbated by a naval blockade and a significant depreciation of the Iranian rial against the U.S. dollar.