MOSCOW, Apr 25 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market fell on Wednesday due to weakening oil prices and shrining risk appetite worldwide, analysts said.
The MOEX Russia Index eased 0.01% to 2,253.50 and the RTS decreased 1.40% to 1,137.62.
“Rising concerns about tightening of U.S. monetary policy and declining crude prices were the main reasons for a fall of the domestic benchmarks,” Yevgeniya Abramovich, head of the currency risks research department at Swiss brokerage house Dukascopy Bank S.A., said.
The Brent oil futures declined to around U.S. $73.5 per barrel pressuring energy stocks. Oil company RussNeft was among the biggest losers falling 2.55% to 516 rubles.
Otkritie Broker analyst Andrei Kochetkov said that global investors tend to avoid any risk. The yield of the world’s most reliable U.S. 10-year treasuries increased to 3.02%, which puts all risky assets, including Russian stocks, at a disadvantage.
Almost all blue chips traded in the negative territory. Sberbank fell 1.14% to 220.45 rubles, Gazprom lost 1% to 142.7 rubles, and Norilsk Nickel sagged 0.52% to 10,803 rubles.
Oil major Rosneft reversed the trend soaring 5.04% to 370 rubles on the news it plans to pay 50% of the 2017 net profit in dividends for the year.
Independent gas producer Novatek dropped 0.44% to 740.4 rubles after it published an IFRS financial statement for January-March marking a 39% fall in the net profit.
Below are the MOEX Russia Index’s five most active stocks on Wednesday:
| Company | Change, % | Last price, rbl | Trading volume, bln rbl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sberbank | -1.14% | 220.45 | 15.381 |
| Rosneft | +5.04% | 370 | 4.321 |
| Gazprom | -1% | 142.7 | 3.394 |
| Magnit | _+1.21% | 4786 | 2.441 |
| Lukoil | +0.74% | 4029 | 2.026 |
(61.6644 rubles – U.S. $1)
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