SMEs to Boost Production in Iran’s Economy
Market News
* Focused on directing resources to sectors that directly boos production to help SMEs overcome recession, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran announced the granting of IRR 300 trillion worth of facilities to be distributed as working capital (for 10,000 businesses) and finance (for 6,000 unfinished projects and renovation of 5,000 economic enterprises). Considering the IRR 500 trillion worth of loans set in the current year annual budget, the remained IRR 200 trillion will be employed to create jobs specifically in rural area. It is worth mentioning that 96% of all licensed Iranian businesses are interpreted as small to medium sized.
* Referring to the US dollar- denomination of contracts struck between Iran and European countries as well as banking sanctions which make trading in dollar way complicated and difficult, officials are now talking about removing dollar from international transactions in Iran, which is expected to increase the speed of dealings. There are talks as well to ink monetary agreements with adjacent countries to use national currencies in transactions and reduce such difficulties.
In the Market
Trading value was still not acceptable and names listed on the Base Market of Iran Fara Bourse seemed to win investors’ attention since the other session. After global commodity prices entered a correction phase, tickers listed on the Metals and Iron Ore groups got hit; nearly the entire sectors settled with slim losses.
After shedding its price for 2 sessions since its reopening, Arak Machinery Mfg. Company’s heavy sales pressure was lifted early in the session; 55 mn shares, listed on the Metals Products industry, changed hands right after the opening bell; it eventually finished at IRR 1,394, 2.6% lower.
According to news, sugar base price grew by 8%, pushing the sector into the green territory. The majority of tickers in the Sugar group, nevertheless, failed to keep their gains.
Having been traded positively recently, Insurance Industry Investment in the Investment space hit its high; the company is planning to raise its capital by 400% based on its shareholders’ paid in capital, claims due and retained earnings; it is also planning to sell an office apartment, which altogether are estimated to result in positive adjustments in financial reports. While the company had realized IRR 38 loss per share in FY ended September 2016, it managed to materialize IRR 411 EPS in FY ended September 2017.
The Automotive space went through negative and low volume trades early in the session; but the bearish sentiment did not last long and demand gradually grew for some tickers like Iran Khodro Development Investment, Motorsazan Iran Tractor and Electric Khodro Sharq facing buy queues. Iran Khodro also entered the green zone; Iran Khodro has been heard to be planning to expand its export market.
Although crude oil underpinned the Oil Products sector great performance in the previous session, mostly due to 2 geopolitical risks, i.e. tensions in Saudi Arabia and Yemen targeting Saudi Arabia airport with a ballistic missile, the majority of names were traded beneath their flat lines; fortunately, half symbols managed to turn into the green (moderate gains) in the final hour. Although growth in oil prices is interpreted as a good sign for oil exporters, its continuance might bear risks; the first risk will threaten the stability of the oil market since higher prices might encourage more supply, breaking oil ascending price trend; another risk might lie in the non-continuance of structural reforms, which kick-started when prices started to fall to reduce reliance on oil, at the time oil prices are sky high, turning the country oil-dependent again; the most serious threat, however, will be some countries’ interest in keeping prices high by adding fuel to the fire of tensions in the region.
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