Articles

Earnings Per Share (EPS) and Price-to-Earnings (P/E): What They Are and How to Read Them

This lesson explains how earnings per share (EPS) and the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio are calculated, the difference between the trailing and forward versions, what "adjustment" means, and why in Iran's inflationary economy a low P/E does not always mean a cheap stock.

TEDPIX vs the Equal-Weight Index: What Sets Them Apart and Why They Diverge

Learn what the Tehran Stock Exchange's overall index (TEDPIX) and its equal-weight index each measure, why one can turn green while the other stays red, and what a divergence between them signals about market breadth and real-money (retail) inflows. A labelled hypothetical shows how an index can rise while most stocks fall.

Housing as an Asset: How Price per Square Meter, Deposit and Rent, and Transaction Costs Work

This lesson looks at a home as an asset: what "price per square meter" means, how a rental deposit (rahn) and monthly rent convert into each other, the true cost of a transaction (agent commission, tax, municipal fees), and why Iran's housing market moves in "jumps and lulls" rather than a smooth climb.

What Is Liquidity, and Why Selling a House Differs From Selling Gold

Learn what liquidity means, why one asset converts to cash quickly and near a fair price while another does not, and how to weigh the hidden cost of not being liquid. We walk the liquidity spectrum of an Iranian household's assets, from deposits and gold to housing, with clearly labelled hypothetical figures.

What Is Diversification? Why You Should Not Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

This lesson explains what diversification means, how spreading money across several assets lowers risk, and why "correlation" between assets is the key. Using a hypothetical gold-and-stocks example, we show how a good basket is built, and why buying dollars, coins and gold at the same time is not really diversification.

Risk and Return: How Are They Related, and Which Risks Threaten a Household's Savings?

Asset Allocation in Iran's Inflationary Economy: A Professional Framework for Building and Rebalancing a Portfolio

Asset allocation, not stock picking, explains most of a portfolio's return variability, yet the standard models assume what Iran lacks: a true risk-free asset and single-digit inflation. This article rewrites the framework for Iran's market: the shared currency anchor and false diversification, real versus nominal return, the true role of each asset class, and rebalancing rules where there are neither hedging instruments nor uniform liquidity.

What Is an Investment Fund? Fixed-Income, Equity, Balanced, Gold Funds and ETFs Explained

What is an investment fund, and how does it differ from buying shares or gold directly? This lesson explains the main fund types (fixed-income, equity, balanced and gold), what NAV (Net Asset Value) means, and how an exchange-traded fund (ETF) differs from an issuance-and-redemption fund, with simple worked examples.

Crypto from Scratch: What Bitcoin Is, What Tether Is, and Why Tether Became Iran's Digital Dollar

Learn from scratch what a blockchain is, how Bitcoin is a scarce but highly volatile asset, and why Tether, which is pegged to the dollar, has taken on the role of a "digital dollar" in Iran, with a labelled hypothetical example, a few dated real figures, and a list of the base risks.

Iran's Multiple Exchange Rates: Why Is There More Than One Dollar Price?

Learn why one dollar has several prices in Iran: we separate the free-market rate, the Exchange Center rate, and the preferential rate, say who each rate is for, and use a hypothetical worked example plus dated real figures to show what the gap between them means.

What Is the Coin Premium (Hobab) and How Is It Calculated?

Gold in Iran: 18 Karat, Melted Gold, and Coin Types

Learn what 18 karat gold, melted gold, and Iran's four gold coin sizes (Emami, Bahar Azadi, half, quarter, gram) are, and what builds each one's price, with a hypothetical worked example and dated real figures.

Sejam and the Trading Code: A Step by Step Guide to Opening a Brokerage Account in Iran

What is Sejam, why must every investor register before trading on the Tehran Stock Exchange, and where does the trading code come from? This lesson walks through registration, in person and remote identity verification, and choosing a brokerage.

Tehran Stock Exchange 101: What Are Shares, Tickers, and the Overall Index?

Learn what a share and a ticker symbol are on the Tehran Stock Exchange, how the overall index is calculated, which days and hours the exchange trades, and how the daily price fluctuation band limits a ticker's price moves.

How Markets Discover Prices

Learn what a market actually is, how supply and demand jointly shape a price, and why expectations, whether in Iran's free currency market or its coin market, can move a price even before supply or demand truly changes.

What Is Bank Deposit Interest? Nominal, Effective, and Real Returns Explained

Learn the difference between nominal, effective, and real interest on a bank deposit, and why comparing a deposit's return to the period's inflation rate gives a truer picture of what happens to a saver's purchasing power.

What Is an Asset? A Map of an Iranian Household's Assets

Learn what an asset is, how financial assets differ from real assets, and the general map of assets an Iranian household typically holds (deposits, gold and coin, currency, stocks, funds, housing, cars), with no comparison or recommendation about which is better.

Money, Inflation, and Purchasing Power

Learn what money, purchasing power, and inflation mean and how they are measured; a labelled hypothetical example shows why idle rial savings can lose part of their real value.