Tehran Stock Exchange leads global markets with 150% annual gain in August
The Tehran Stock Exchange recorded the world’s highest annual growth in August 2026, with its price index rising 150% from a year earlier, outperforming 74 major stock markets worldwide, according to the latest report by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).
The index reached 1,091,379 points, putting Tehran ahead of South Korea’s stock market, which ranked second with a 114% gain, and Ghana’s exchange, which placed third with a 105% increase, Eqtesad-e Moaser reported.
The performance came despite wartime conditions in Iran and followed a period of pressure on the market amid political uncertainty and an extended trading suspension that prompted investors to adopt a more cautious approach.
Trading on the TSE resumed on May 19 after an 80-day suspension, with Iranian equities ending the session higher than expected and showing early signs of stability following the prolonged halt caused by the 40-day US-Israeli war that began in late February.
The country remains on a war footing, with its southern ports under a US naval blockade.
Meanwhile, stock markets in several Arab countries in the region recorded declines or only modest gains during the same period, amid the economic fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Dubai’s stock market fell 3.8% in August, while Abu Dhabi’s benchmark declined 0.9%. Bahrain’s market rose just 0.4%, compared with gains of 4.7% in Kuwait and 4% in Saudi Arabia. Oman’s Muscat Stock Exchange, however, posted a 69% increase.
In the United States, the Nasdaq index gained 22%, while the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rose 19%.
Indonesia’s stock market recorded the steepest decline among the 75 major exchanges, falling 23.7% during the month.