Russian stocks ended the trading session lower on Wednesday, led by losses in the Mining, Oil & Gas and Power sectors that pulled the MOEX Russia Index down 1.00% at the close in Moscow.
On the individual stock front, Mobil’nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX:MTSS) was the session's top performer among MOEX components, rising 0.22% or 0.50 points to finish at 226.40. Unipro PJSC (MCX:UPRO) also recorded a small uptick of 0.22% — effectively unchanged in point terms at 1.38 — and GDR ROS AGRO PLC ORD SHS (MCX:AGRODR) finished unchanged at 1,083.80.
At the other end of the board, United Company Rusal IPJSC (MCX:RUAL) posted the steepest decline among tracked names, slipping 4.66% or 1.75 points to close at 35.73. Gazprom PJSC (MCX:GAZP) fell 3.55% or 4.38 points to end at 119.00, while Magnit PJSC (MCX:MGNT) eased 2.31% or 56.50 points to 2,386.00.
Market breadth on the Moscow Stock Exchange was tilted toward losers, with 188 stocks closing lower versus 57 advancers; another 6 issues finished unchanged.
Two companies reached notable low levels: GDR ROS AGRO PLC ORD SHS (MCX:AGRODR) finished unchanged at 1,083.80, marking a 52-week low, while Magnit PJSC (MCX:MGNT) dropped to a 5-year low at 2,386.00.
Volatility measures also moved higher in the session. The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which tracks implied volatility of MOEX Russia Index options, rose 1.97% to 22.25.
Commodity markets showed mixed direction. Gold Futures for June delivery declined 0.26% or 11.85 to $4,546.15 a troy ounce. Crude oil for July delivery posted a substantial drop, falling 4.87% or 5.07 to $99.08 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract ticked down 0.13% or 0.14 to trade at $105.34 a barrel.
On currency rates, USD/RUB was unchanged at 71.51 and EUR/RUB was unchanged at 83.14. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.31% at 99.57.
This session's move left the main benchmark lower for the day as sector-specific pressures in mining, energy and power dominated trading dynamics. The breadth of declines and a rise in option-implied volatility reflected an uneven risk environment across the Moscow market.