Hyderabad, May 13 -- The combined market capitalisation of the world's 10 most valuable companies has increased by USD 4.18 trillion since the start of the Iran war in late February, supported by strong investor confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) and improving market sentiment.

According to Anadolu Agency, the total value of the top firms reached USD 29.24 trillion by May 8, marking a rise of 16.69 percent during the period.

Financial markets initially reacted negatively after tensions escalated following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. By the end of March, the combined value of the leading companies had dropped to USD 23.98 trillion, down 4.3 percent from pre-conflict levels.

Market sentiment improved in April a...