Russian stocks close mixed on global market uncertainty

MOSCOW, May 18 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market closed mixed on Friday discouraged by uncertainty on the global market amid trade talks between the U.S. and China, investors said.

The MOEX Russia Index grew 0.15% to 2,326.94 and the RTS fell 0.72% to 1,173.14.

“Purchases prevailed on the Russian stock market... However, the MOEX Russia Index grew insignificantly as the market is still in the state of negative expectations. Germany’s Trade Ministry supported the Nord Stream-2 project, but results of a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel should be analyzed,” Otkritie Broker analyst Andrei Kochetkov said.

Forex Club analyst Ivan Marchena said that the domestic market was pressured by wariness on the global stock exchanges amid a new round of import duties negotiations between China and the U.S.

Raiffeisen Capital analyst Sofya Kirsanova said that global investors are still not interested in risky assets because of a 3% yield of the 10-year U.S. treasuries.

Companies controlled by Oleg Deripaska, who was included in the sanctions list by the U.S. in April, were the best performers. Aluminum producer UC RUSAL jumped 10.62% to 26.98 rubles and En+ Group grew 8.75% to 317 rubles on the news En+’s board approved Deripaska’s resignation in an attempt to move the companies out of the sanctions.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	-1.7	222.2	13.600
Lukoil	+2.2	4450	3.380
Gazprom	-1.02	145.65	3.140
Magnit	-1.08	5108	1.491
Norilsk Nickel	-0.54	10732	1.408

(61.8215 rubles – U.S. $1)

End