Russian stocks edge up despite negative external environment

MOSCOW, Nov 6 (PRIME) -- Investors’ sentiment on Russian stocks changed several times during the day on Friday, and the indices managed to close higher despite a negative external background, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index grew 1.20% to 2,895.62 and the RTS increased 0.64% to 1,178.28.

“The MOEX Russia Index and the RTS index have bounced back from the day’s lows and tried to return to growth despite pessimism seen on the global markets… The Moscow Exchange’s chemicals and petrochemicals index has edged up most of all by the end of the trading session,” Veles Broker analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

Otkritie Broker analyst Andrei Kochetkov said that the local market changed the direction several times during the day. Market participants traded in line with the overall uncertainty linked to results of the U.S. presidential election.

Kozhukhova said that the major U.S. benchmarks lost around 0.2–0.5% in the first hours of trade, and the Brent oil price fell around 2%.  

Fertilizers producer PhosAgro hit a record high since December 2016 jumping 5.16% on the board of directors’ recommendation to pay 123 ruble per share in interim dividends, the biggest payment in the company’s history.

Precious metal producers Polyus and Polymetal International outperformed the market rising 3.15% and 4.25%, respectively, on attempts of the gold price to consolidate above 1,950 per ounce.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+0.39	217.55	19.601
Gazprom	+0.96	165.27	7.966
Norilsk Nickel	+2.49	20174	6.296
Lukoil	+2.14	4414	5.568
Yandex	+1.03	4904.8	4.274

(78.4559 rubles – U.S. $1)

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