Russian stocks finished Tuesday's trading in positive territory, supported by advances in the oil & gas, mining and power sectors.
At the close in Moscow the MOEX Russia Index was up 0.15%.
The session's strongest performers on the MOEX Russia Index included United Company Rusal IPJSC (MCX:RUAL), which climbed 3.39% or 0.80 points to close at 24.39. Surgutneftegas PJSC Pref (MCX:SNGS_p) gained 3.05% or 1.11 points, ending the day at 37.31. Moskovskiy Kreditnyi Bank PAO (MCX:CBOM) also posted a rise, up 1.82% or 0.14 points to finish at 7.66.
On the downside, Mobil’nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX:MTSS) was the weakest name, sliding 5.46% or 9.60 points to close at 166.30. VK Company Ltd (MCX:VKCO) fell 4.64% or 7.60 points to end at 156.35, and OZON (MCX:OZON) dropped 3.67% or 118.50 points to a close of 3,109.00.
Market breadth on the Moscow exchange was tilted toward gainers, with 135 stocks advancing versus 106 decliners, and 10 issues finishing unchanged.
Several individual stocks reached notable price milestones in the session. Shares of Mobil’nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX:MTSS) moved to 52-week lows, closing at 166.30 after the 5.46% decline. VK Company Ltd (MCX:VKCO) fell to all-time lows with a 4.64% drop to 156.35. OZON (MCX:OZON) also closed at a 52-week low, down 3.67% to 3,109.00.
Volatility in Russian equity options increased: the Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which gauges implied volatility for MOEX Russia Index options, rose 3.27% to 44.49.
Commodities showed mixed moves that intersect with market activity. Gold futures for August delivery rose 1.31% or 52.60 to $4,058.30 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for August delivery increased 2.16% or $1.69 to $79.83 a barrel, while the September Brent contract slipped 0.40% or $0.34 to $85.08 a barrel.
Currency pairs involving the Russian ruble were unchanged in the session: USD/RUB held flat at 77.93 and EUR/RUB was unchanged at 88.57.
Elsewhere, the US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.32% to 100.72 by the close.
Summary
- MOEX Russia Index closed up 0.15% as gains in oil & gas, mining and power names supported the market.
- Top performers included RUAL (+3.39%), SNGS_p (+3.05%) and CBOM (+1.82%); notable decliners included MTSS (-5.46%), VKCO (-4.64%) and OZON (-3.67%).
- RVI rose to 44.49, gold and August crude both climbed, and USD/RUB and EUR/RUB remained unchanged.
Key points
- Sector impact - Energy, mining and power stocks provided upward momentum for the MOEX Russia Index.
- Market breadth - Advancers outnumbered decliners 135 to 106, indicating modestly broad-based participation in the rally.
- Commodities link - Moves in gold and crude oil intersected with market sentiment, with gold and August crude higher on the day.
Risks and uncertainties
- Equity volatility - The RVI rose 3.27% to 44.49, reflecting increased implied volatility for MOEX options and signaling greater uncertainty in equity pricing.
- Stock-specific downside - Several large-cap names hit 52-week or all-time lows (MTSS, VKCO, OZON), highlighting company-level risks in telecom and e-commerce names.
- Commodity sensitivity - Prices for oil and gold moved intraday; further swings in commodities could influence energy and mining sector performance.
Data points and price changes cited are as reported at the close of trading in Moscow on Tuesday.