MOEX Russia Index rises, RTS flat amid high oil, positive background

MOSCOW, May 31 (PRIME) -- Russian stocks closed on Thursday with a moderate increase of the MOEX Russia Index amid growing oil prices and quite a positive foreign background, while the RTS index remained flat, analysts said.  

The MOEX Russia Index added 0.23% to 2,302.88 and the RTS was flat at 1,162.98.

“By the middle of the trading day on Thursday, Russian stock indices were showing positive dynamics, although optimism on global floors eased,” Veles Broker analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

By the end of the trading day, the indices remained on the positive territory, but moved away from intraday highs, she said.

The ruble slightly weakened against the dollar and euro by the end of the day, she added.

Finam expert Vasily Oleinik said that Italian risks took backseat and optimism returned to stock floors.

Metals and mining company Mechel was among growth leaders, with preferred shares jumping 7.88% and common shares adding 0.95% on reports that the company’s board of directors recommended paying 16.66 rubles per preferred share, or a total of around 2.312 billion rubles, in dividends for 2017, while paying no dividends on common shares.

Power grid holding Rosseti lost 0.52% after the board of directors recommended paying no dividends for 2017.

Below are the MOEX Russia Index’s five most active stocks on Thursday:

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+0.61	222.36	14.989
FIVE-GDR	+1.29	1808.00	12.789
VTB	-2.82	0.04989	6.425
Lukoil	-0.88	4209.00	6.379
Gazprom	+1.21	145.00	4.903

(62.5937 rubles – U.S. $1)

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