Moscow equity markets closed the week on an uptick, with the MOEX Russia Index finishing 1.85% higher at the close on Friday. The session's gains were concentrated in the Oil & Gas, Mining and Power sectors, which helped push the benchmark upward.
Top performers
- Magnit PJSC (MCX:MGNT) led the list of winners, advancing 3.50% - a rise of 56.50 points to finish at 1,671.00.
- Aeroflot PJSC (MCX:AFLT) climbed 1.78%, gaining 0.59 points to close at 33.68.
- NOVATEK PJSC (MCX:NVTK) added 1.22%, an increase of 12.30 points, ending the session at 1,017.40.
Lagging issues
- PIK SHb PJSC (MCX:PIKK) was the weakest on the MOEX, slipping 3.84% or 22.10 points to close at 553.00.
- United Company Rusal IPJSC (MCX:RUAL) fell 1.62%, down 0.45 points to 27.30 at the close.
- Unipro PJSC (MCX:UPRO) finished lower by 1.28%, a decline of 0.01 points to 1.04.
Market breadth on the Moscow Stock Exchange tilted positive, with 122 stocks advancing versus 110 that declined and 22 that finished unchanged. The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which tracks implied volatility for options on the MOEX Russia Index, eased 6.50% to 37.83 by the close.
In commodity markets, December Gold Futures fell 1.38% - a decline of $62.70 - to $4,477.20 per troy ounce. Crude oil prices were mixed: October crude for delivery decreased 0.09% or $0.08 to $91.22 a barrel, while the November Brent contract rose 0.35% or $0.33 to $95.85 a barrel.
Foreign exchange moves included a weaker ruble versus major currencies at the close. The USD/RUB pair declined 0.51% to 86.21, and EUR/RUB decreased 1.05% to 99.66. For broader currency markets, the US Dollar Index Futures was trading up 0.25% at 99.13.
Market context and observations
The session showed constructive participation from key sectors that typically influence the MOEX benchmark. While a handful of stocks posted notable declines, the overall number of advancers outpaced decliners and implied volatility recessed meaningfully during the trading day. Commodities and currency moves were modest and mixed, providing a backdrop of relative stability into the close.