Tehran Stock Exchange: Launches Single Stock Futures Trading

Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), the Iranian securities market operator, began trading of single stock futures, as a new investment instrument, with two listed most-actively traded companies on 25 July 2010. Dr. Hassan Ghalibaf Asl, CEO of TSE, commented during the opening ceremony "we are very pleased to develop a broader international investor base focused on the futures market. Moreover, offering the new product will help us broaden and deepen our market." "We are committed to offering our members and investors a diversified product. At the first Step, we offer eight futures contracts based on two listed banks, Parsian Bank and Karafarin Bank and will expand it to at least 10 stocks by March 2011. The two stocks have been selected due to their substantial underlying liquidity and several tests." he added. The futures contracts will be denominated in Iranian Rial and settled physically. Their maturity dates will be of two-month cycles. By listing futures contracts, TSE will be abl