Russian stocks close mixed on high oil prices, absence of drivers

MOSCOW, Mar 30 (PRIME) -- Russian stocks closed mixed in thin trade on Friday as the market received no drivers from Western bourses that were mostly closed for the Easter holidays and local players priced in Thursday’s increase in oil prices, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index fell 0.16% to 2,270.98 and the RTS increased 0.19% to 1,249.41.

“The bulk of bourses in the U.S. and Europe were closed today, while trade in shares and commodities were suspended. The lack of foreign investors led to a significant contraction of trade volume on the Moscow Exchange,” while investors priced in Thursday evening’s increase of oil prices pushing the RTS index higher, Yevgeniya Abramovich, head of the currency risks research department at Swiss brokerage house Dukascopy Bank S.A., said.

The Brent oil price rose 0.84% to U.S. $69.34 per barrel on Thursday, according to the ICE exchange.

“The general background was moderately positive in the middle of the day. Trade on the opened bourses of Asia closed higher,” Yelena Kozhukhova, an analyst at investment company Veles Broker, said.

Andrei Kochetkov, an analyst at Otkritie Broker, said that the local market was almost the only trading floor today, while the news flow was almost non-existent and had no noticeable impact on the market.

He said that announcement by Vagit Alekperov, CEO of Russian oil major Lukoil, that he may leave the CEO position in three to five years pushed the stock down 0.76% to 3,961 rubles.

Shares of gas giant Gazprom decreased 0.33% to 142.33 rubles as investors were waiting for the company’s financial report under Russian Accounting Standards that is likely to reflect a $2.6 billion payment to Ukrainian energy holding Naftogaz Ukrainy, Kochetkov added.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+0.26	253.57	2.769
Gazprom	-0.33	142.33	1.195
Lukoil	-0.76	3961.00	1.058
Rosneft	-0.77	313.90	0.386
Magnit	+0.95	4680.00	0.377

(57.7626 rubles – U.S. $1)

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