Russian equities finished the trading day higher on Wednesday, with energy and industrial sectors contributing most to the uptick. At the close in Moscow, the MOEX Russia Index was up 0.57%.
Top performers
NOVATEK PJSC (MCX:NVTK) led gains on the index, rising 5.42% or 73.50 points to end at 1,429.60. The stock reached a 52-week high on the move. Rosneft PJSC (MCX:ROSN) added 3.10% or 15.40 points to close at 511.90, while TATNEFT n.a. V.D. Shashin (MCX:TATN) finished up 2.33% or 14.70 points at 644.90.
Lagging issues
On the downside, VK Company Ltd (MCX:VKCO) declined 2.85% or 8.85 points to 301.45 at the close. Polyus PJSC (MCX:PLZL) fell 2.42% or 57.80 points to finish at 2,328.40, and OK Rusal MKPAO (MCX:RUAL) was down 2.37% or 1.04 points to 43.06.
Despite the index-level gain, decliners outnumbered advancers on the Moscow Stock Exchange, with 133 stocks down versus 112 that advanced, while 8 issues were unchanged.
Volatility and commodities
The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which tracks implied volatility for options on the MOEX Russia Index, rose 0.62% to 26.11. In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery fell 3.68% or 184.30 to $4,823.90 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery increased 3.68% or 3.52 to $99.05 a barrel, while the May Brent contract was down 0.59% or 0.65 to trade at $110.30 a barrel.
Currency and dollar moves
Currency pairs involving the Russian ruble were unchanged at the close, with USD/RUB flat at 84.55 and EUR/RUB flat at 96.05. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.73% to 100.06.
This session combined notable gains in several large energy names with a market breadth that still saw more stocks fall than rise. Volatility as measured by the RVI ticked higher, while commodity prices displayed mixed direction: oil rallied on the front-month contract, Brent eased slightly, and gold declined sharply for April delivery.