Russian stocks close mixed on controversial global, domestic cues

MOSCOW, Feb 1 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market tried to recover from the previous week’s losses on Monday, but failed to stay above the local highs, and closed mixed due to controversial external and internal drivers, analysts said.  

The MOEX Russia Index grew 0.43% to 3,291.14 and the RTS decreased 0.27% to 1,363.96.

“The MOEX Russia and the RTS indices failed to consolidate near the local highs of 3,300 and 1,400, respectively, and stayed below them. The market seems to prove risks of a further downward movement,” Veles Capital analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

Optimistic sentiments, which can be explained as correction from a fall seen at the end of the previous week, prevailed on the global stock markets, but Russian investors are waiting for a clearer geopolitical situation, including the court’s decision in Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s case, she also said.

Kozhukhova said that shares of precious metals miners demonstrated confident growth thanks to the gold price breaking through the U.S. $1,850 per ounce mark and in line with the dynamics of silver that jumped more than 10% during the day, accelerated by the activity of the U.S. intraday traders, to hit its highest since 2013.

Otkritie Broker analyst Andrei Kochetkov said that agricultural producer Rusagro rose 1.01% on the back of a 36% rise of its consolidated revenue in October–December 2020.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+1.6	262.24	15.144
Lukoil	-1.13	5316	10.638
Polymetal	+7.01	1755	8.619
Gazprom	+0.09	213.03	7.806
Norilsk Nickel	+1.33	24.688	6.764

(76.2527 rubles – U.S. $1)

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