M. Reza Sarafraz Yazdi
CEO, Agah Group
Agah Group is divided into three arms: a brokerage (Agah Brokerage Firm), an investment consulting (Ava-e-Agah Company), and a financial technology firm (Asa). The main reason for our enviable position among brokers in Iran is the fact that we make investments in different sectors. In particular, our investments in IT and fintech infrastructure have been extremely beneficial for us. We have an exclusive online trading platform, a tailored solution that has helped us move above the competition. The knowledge and awareness about capital markets in Iran is underdeveloped, and there is a lack of education and information about the financial industry in general. We are the market leader in training and educating people on the Iranian capital markets. To date there have been a few requests from foreign financial institutions to come to Iran and establish their own operations here. We always tell them that they need a powerful regulated local partner. Doing business in Iran, like every other place, has its own sets of rules and considerations. Companies need people who understand the language of doing business here. Also they have to gain access to the vast network of business connections in the country. Having the right domestic partner who knows the international literature not only saves them countless hours of time, but also decreases their setup costs.
Mohammad Ali Sharifinia
Managing Director, Mobin Sarmayeh Brokerage Co.
Our strategy is not to take a margin of the market, but to expand the market itself. This is also the strategy of the Securities and Exchange Organization (SEO). The Iranian capital market consists of three parts: the mercantile or commodities market, securities and OTC, and energy. In each market we have a plan. In the commodities market, we plan to provide the products that have the potential to be in the exchange market. We are also trying to use the new instruments that are provided by the SEO to expand the futures market. We focus on gathering our innovations in the IT sector and also in training our clients. We have workshops to train our clients in buying and selling securities on the exchange market, and we also have platforms to teach them how to use future contracts. In commodities, we want to show them export commodities such as steel, petrochemical products, and agricultural products. After the lifting of sanctions, many clients came to Iran to negotiate contracts, but there are some limitations. We are trying to find solutions to facilitate investment in Iran. The country has export advantages and most clients are investment companies that are here to buy the export products like petrochemical and oil products. We are establishing three foreign offices to attract investors to buy securities.
Mohammad Roshan Pour
CEO, Mohammad Roshan Pour
There are 107 brokers in Iran, and our place is fluctuating between one and 10. We are specialized in block trading in Iran. When entities want to trade large amounts of shares, or sometimes significant stakes in a company, we broker the transaction. Next to this, we are active in asset management and have a mutual fund, a fixed-income fund, a market-making fund, and a charity fund. We are also working on the development of electronic trading modules, and will launch this new part of the company in a few months. We also have some new products in our portfolio management. Even though the number of brokers and competition is extremely high, there is little interest in mergers and acquisitions at this moment. Behgozin Brokerage is part of the Mostazafan Foundation, together with another firm named Sina Brokerage. We work on the stock exchange, while Sina Brokerage works on the commodities exchange. We are planning a merger with Sina Brokerage. Other mergers or acquisitions could be on the table for the future. I see increased appetite in foreign investors, but we have some technical problems such as in transferring money through the banking system. Foreign investors need to adapt to the Iranian market, and we in Iran need to match the systems and standardize our activities, which takes time.
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