The Central Securities Depository of Iran issued 19 new trading codes to foreign investors in the Iranian month ending December 21. According to SENA news agency, the sole registration entity and overseer of Iranian securities, issued the codes for 11 investors from Europe and the Middle East. It also issued eight codes for foreign institutional investors. SENA did not specify the nationality of the companies. With the prospect of normalization of relations with Iran, the equity markets have piqued the interest of foreign investors. The CSDI issued more codes for foreigners in the first three quarters of the current Iranian year (started March 21) than it did in all of last year—167 compared to 121 trading codes.