Russian stock market mixed on sanctions expectations, weak ruble

MOSCOW, Feb 13 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market has closed with mixed dynamics on Monday over a weak ruble and expectations of a new package of the E.U. sanctions, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index rose 0.12% to 2,264.27 and the RTS decreased 0.63% to 965.86.

“The Russian stock market on Monday did not show significant changes by the end of main trading, being under the pressure of a weak ruble and cautious anticipation of an announcement of the new E.U. sanctions,” Veles Capital’s analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

The Russian ruble hit another low against the dollar and the euro since April 2022, and fell just short of a new low against the yuan, Kozhukhova also said.

Yevgeny Linchik, head of the stock managing department at managing company Pervaya, said that the stock market growth was restrained by declining oil, as well as fears related to the 10th package of the E.U. sanctions against Russia.

Brent crude oil was trading down by the end of the main trading session in the Russian market, but the quotations were still above U.S. $85 per barrel, the analyst also said. High volatility in the oil market remains.

Unipro shares were rising ahead of the release of its 2022 financial results on Friday showing the biggest growth, Kozhukhova said. In late January, the company announced a 19% increase in power generation in 2022, to 53.96 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), which allows it to expect a good financial performance, she added.

According to the analyst, Raspadskaya rallied, supported by hopes of developing exports to the Asian region after Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak’s report on Russia’s 2022 coal exports.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	-0.16	165.25	5.063
Nizhnekamskneftekhim	+15.56	124.4	1.57
Gazprom	-0.18	158.4	1.542
Kazanorgsintez	+13.76	31	1.435
Polyus	-0.23	9102.5	1.26

(72.7923 rubles – U.S. $1)

End