Stock Markets February 21, 2026

Moscow Market Closes Flat as Select Large-Caps Offset Losses

MOEX Russia Index ends unchanged while mixed stock performance leaves broader market little changed

By Avery Klein ROSN
Moscow Market Closes Flat as Select Large-Caps Offset Losses
ROSN

The MOEX Russia Index finished the session in Moscow unchanged, as gains in select energy and telecommunications names were balanced by declines among some financial and industrial shares. Market breadth favored advancers, and volatility and currency measures moved little. Commodities showed divergent moves with gold up and benchmark crude near flat.

Key Points

  • MOEX Russia Index closed unchanged at 0.00%, reflecting offsetting moves among large-cap names.
  • Top performers included MTSS and ROSN, while VTBR, AFKS and NLMK were among the biggest decliners.
  • Market breadth favored advancers (121) over decliners (97) with 23 unchanged; RVI remained steady at 24.99.

Russia stocks were lower after the close on Saturday, though overall index movement finished flat due to offsetting gains and losses across major names. Market-level sector leadership was not specified in the available data, leaving the net outcome at the index level roughly unchanged.

At the close in Moscow, the MOEX Russia Index was unchanged at 0.00%.

Among individual contributors, Mobil’nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX:MTSS) was the session’s strongest performer on the MOEX Russia Index, rising 0.53% or 1.25 points to finish at 236.00. Rosneft PJSC (MCX:ROSN) also advanced, adding 0.39% or 1.55 points to close at 397.20. ROSSETI PJSC (MCX:FEES) registered no net change in late trade, listed as unchanged at 0.35% or 0.00 points to 0.07.

The decliners included Bank VTB PJSC (MCX:VTBR), which fell 0.49% or 0.44 points to end the day at 88.45. AFK Sistema PJSC (MCX:AFKS) slipped 0.23% or 0.03 points to 14.13, and Novolipetsk Steel (MCX:NLMK) was down 0.18% or 0.20 points to 111.06.

On the Moscow Stock Exchange, rising issues outnumbered falling ones by 121 to 97, while 23 stocks finished unchanged.

The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which reflects implied volatility for MOEX Russia Index options, was unchanged at 24.99.

Commodities and currency moves were mixed. Gold futures for April delivery climbed 1.67% or $83.50 to $5,080.90 a troy ounce. In energy markets, April delivery crude oil fell 0.06% or $0.04 to $66.39 a barrel, while the April Brent contract rose 0.14% or $0.10 to $71.76 a barrel.

On the foreign exchange front, the dollar-ruble rate (USD/RUB) eased 0.03% to 76.72, and the euro-ruble pair (EUR/RUB) rose 0.04% to 90.39. The US Dollar Index Futures moved lower by 0.13% to 97.73.


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Risks

  • Lack of specified sector leadership in the available data - this limits clarity on which parts of the economy drove the session's moves (impacts all sectors).
  • Mixed commodity signals - gold rose while benchmark crude was essentially flat, contributing to uncertainty for commodity-sensitive sectors such as energy and materials.
  • Currency and dollar moves were modest but present, which could introduce FX-related volatility for exporters and importers (impacts financials, materials, energy).

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