Russian stocks close mixed backed by improving environment

MOSCOW, Jul 9 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market rebounded from the day’s highs and closed mixed on Friday amid recovering optimism on the global market, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index fell 0.15% to 3,855.31 and the RTS increased 0.45% to 1,635.04.

“The MOEX Russia and the RTS indices bounced back from the session’s highs, but finished the week above the short-term support levels of 3,840 and 1,600, which gives hope for further growth. The market situation remains uncertain,” Veles Broker analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

Optimism recovered on the global stock exchanges at the end of the week, and the situation points to the possibility of upward movement in the next few days, she added.

The Brent oil price added around 2% by the end of the day to above U.S. $74.5 per barrel.

Kozhukhova also said that metals producers continued correcting upwards with steel producer Severstal, integrated steel producer Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) being among the best performers and adding 3.64%, 4.00% and 2.92%, respectively.

Diamond miner ALROSA grew 2.28% on the news its sales increased 12% to $410 million in June.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Gazprom	+0.51	294.35	11.401
Rosneft	-0.96	575.5	9.495
Sberbank	+0.33	303.63	5.936
Lukoil	-0.72	6636	5.474
Norilsk Nickel	+0.92	24740	5.088

(75.1952 rubles – U.S. $1)

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