Russian stocks close mixed amid careful external background

MOSCOW, Mar 28 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market consolidated during the day and closed mixed on Tuesday amid careful sentiments on foreign stock exchanges and weakening risk appetites, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index grew 0.06% to 2,442.19 and the RTS decreased 0.21% to 999.83.

“The Russian stock market has not demonstrated significant changes and bounced back from the day’s peaks,” Veles Broker analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

She also said that cautious sentiments restored on foreign bourses amid mounting threats of possible global recession, but the nearest Brent oil futures stayed in the positive territory, rising by 0.5% close to the resistance line of U.S. $79.5 per barrel.

Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov expects Russia’s coal production to remain flat on the year in 2023 after a fall at the beginning of the year, which supported both ordinary and preferred shares of metals and mining group Mechel that surged by 4.89% and 2.47%, respectively, Kozhukhova said.

Precious metals miners Polymetal International and Polyus edged up due to weakening of the global appetite for risk and a rise of gold prices to $1,970 per ounce, she also said.

Management company Alfa-Capital’s senior trader Vladislav Silayev said that the financial sector was among the best performers, whereas energy and metal stocks underperformed.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+0.64	213.19	14.178
Gazprom	-0.93	170.72	4.313
Aeroflot	-2	32.26	2.073
Lukoil	+0.13	4327.5	1.923
Polyus	+0.49	9455	1.708

(76.5662 rubles – U.S. $1)

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