TEHRAN - Iran’s capital market value has increased to reach a record of nearly $200 billion, according to a report citing figures from the country’s capital market regulator.
The report published on Tuesday by the news service (sena.ir) of the Securities and Exchange Organization of Iran (SEO) showed that the total value of Iran’s capital market had reached 136,790 trillion rials at the end of the calendar month to May 21.
The report said the figure equals $199.4 billion, considering the price of the U.S. dollar in the Iranian central bank’s main forex market.
It said the value of the capital market in Iran, which covers trade at four major subsidiary markets, was at $195 billion in late April.
Stocks accounted for $173 billion worth of the Iranian capital market on May 21, the report said, adding that debt securities (bonds) were worth $10.5 billion while the value of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) had reached $15.9 billion on the same day.
The capital market value calculated on free market prices of foreign currency was $165.6 billion in late May, it said.
However, a study of the market in terms of the Iranian currency rial showed that the value of stocks had risen from 116,690 trillion rials in late April to 118,620 trillion rials in late May, according to the report.
The bond market value reached 10,950 trillion rials in late May, up from 10,670 trillion rials reported a month ago, while ETFs rose from 6,540 trillion rials to 7,220 trillion rials over the same period, it said.  
The Iranian stock market has seen a surge in trading since early April when news broke that Iran and the United States had started a series of indirect talks to settle disputes around Iran’s nuclear program.
The talks have caused a decline in the prices of foreign currencies and gold, pushing many investors to buy shares of profitable companies.
The main index in Tehran Stock Exchange rose 24,914 points to 3.134 million on Tuesday.