Russian stocks close mixed ahead of US Trump inauguration

MOSCOW, Jan 20 (PRIME) -- The Russian MICEX stock market index sagged at the closing of the trading session on Friday as investors’ appetite for risk decreased ahead of the presidential inauguration of U.S. Donald Trump but the RTS grew on the back of rising oil prices, analysts said.

The MICEX decreased 0.11% to 2,159.96 and the RTS grew 0.21% to 1,138.99.

“The trading activity on the market has fallen ahead of the Trump inauguration. Still, the uncertainty remains high and the risk appetite has declined, which is why risky assets look worse,” Alfa-Capital analyst Andrei Shenk said.

Sofya Kirsanova, an analyst at managing company Reiffeisen Capital, said that investors expect the U.S. to repeal sanctions against Russia in April–September, which is why any statements by Trump regarding Russia will be extremely important.

Veles Capital analyst Igor Arnautov said that the Russian market dynamics was moderately positive in the afternoon due to an increase of the oil price.

Kirsanova said that an oil price rebound in the evening helped the MICEX to regain a part of its daily losses.

The depositary receipts of Mail.ru grew 3.09% on Friday on the London Stock Exchange on the back of the beginning of an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of mobile operator MegaFon in order to consider an acquisition of a Mail.ru stake, she said.

Arnautov said that the shares of MTS and MegaFon grew 1.83% and 2.40% respectively on the back of a possible easing of the data retention laws.

Surgutneftegas and Rosneft increased after an oil price growth, he said. Surgutneftegas’ common shares rose 0.88% and the preferred ones 1.41%; Rosneft grew1.77%.

Kirsanova said that Severstal and Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) were among the outsiders with a 2.22% and 1.87% falling respectively after NLMK posted a 15% sales price fall for October–December on the back of weakening of the ruble. Evraz fell 1.82% in London.

Below are the MICEX’ five most active stocks on Friday:

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+0.72	167.49	5.439
Gazprom	-0.76	149.7	4.963
RusHydro	-0.90	1.0866	2.366
Lukoil	-0.47	3180	2.008
Norilsk Nickel	-2.40	9360	1.959

(59.3521 rubles – U.S. $1)

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