Russian stocks may grow amid stable oil, neutral background

MOSCOW, Jan 12 (PRIME) -- Russian stocks may slightly increase at the opening on Thursday amid stable oil prices and quite a neutral foreign background, analysts said.

“We expect the Russian stock market to open at around 2,220 points at the MICEX index, assuming that it will fluctuate around current levels amid a neutral foreign background,” Oleg Shagov, head of investment company Solid’s research department, said.

The ultimate influence of key external factors that have a significant impact on the Russian financial market is close to neutral, the analyst said. Brent oil futures are fluctuating around U.S. $55 per barrel, having risen after the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Oil Minister Suhail al-Mazroui said that the Arab states of the Persian Gulf are actively reducing oil production.

The U.S. stock index futures are slightly falling, while main Asian stock indicators are not showing single dynamics.

Anton Manayev, head of investment company Olma’s department of trade transactions, said he expected the RTS index to slightly grow at the opening, while the further movement will depend on news from the commodities market.

Investors will follow news from the Gaidar Forum that opens on Thursday, where Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is expected to take part.

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