Overview of Market Performance#
On Friday, Russian equities closed lower, primarily due to declines in the Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, and Telecoms sectors. The MOEX Russia Index, which tracks the performance of the Russian stock market, fell by 0.16% by the end of trading in Moscow.
Notable Gainers#
Despite the overall decline, some stocks managed to perform well. TATNEFT n.a. V.D. Shashin Pref saw an increase of 1.31%, rising 7.90 points to close at 609.90. Gazprom PJSC, a major player in the energy sector, gained 0.96%, adding 1.25 points to end at 131.99. PIK SHb PJSC also experienced a rise of 0.77%, up 3.60 points to close at 474.10.
Major Losers#
On the flip side, several stocks faced significant losses. AK ALROSA PJSC dropped by 1.77%, losing 0.68 points to trade at 37.75. VK Company Ltd fell by 1.63%, down 4.80 points to close at 289.95, while AFK Sistema PJSC decreased by 1.62%, shedding 0.22 points to end at 13.08. Overall, declining stocks outnumbered those that rose, with 146 declines compared to 96 gains, and 11 stocks remaining unchanged.
Volatility and Commodities#
The Russian Volatility Index (RVI), which indicates market uncertainty, decreased by 6.84% to 24.77. In the commodities market, Gold Futures for April delivery fell by 2.47%, trading at $4,492.00 per troy ounce. Conversely, Crude oil prices saw an increase, with May delivery rising by 2.66% to $98.09 per barrel, and the May Brent oil contract up 3.90% to $112.89 per barrel. In currency trading, the USD/RUB exchange rate decreased by 3.51% to 83.13, while the EUR/RUB rate saw a slight increase of 0.01% to 96.18.