Russian stocks mixed on falling foreign mkts, rising ruble

MOSCOW, Sep 11 (PRIME) -- The MOEX Russia Index declined on Tuesday on the back of a negative dynamics on foreign markets, the RTS index grew on increasing ruble, analysts said. 

The MOEX Russia Index fell 0.03% to 2,335.19 and the RTS index grew 1.19% to 1,055.90.

“The news flow was again quite scarce but the external circumstances were enough for the market,” Otkritie Broker analyst Andrei Kochetkov said.

“The ruble was strengthening in the first half of the day, which made investors in banking sector securities hopeful, but then the national currency lost the gains and the financial organizations securities were again under the pressure,” Kochetkov said.

Veles Broker analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said that the external background for the Russian trading session was moderately negative as oil quotations remained in the green zone but European markets fell. U.S. S&P500 futures decreased on statements that China plans to contest the U.S. trade restrictions in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Alor analysts said that all Russian benchmarks were under pressure with the retail sector as the market outsider.

MegaFon increased 2.35% on news that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), MegaFon, Mail.Ru Group, and Chinese giant Alibaba Group announced strategic partnership, the analysts said.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	-1.08	169.36	15.752
Gazprom	+1.07	152.36	6.791
Lukoil	+0.38	4706.5	3.608
Norilsk Nickel	+0.8	11456	2.008
Sberbank pref	-2.28	144.97	1.531

(69.8685 rubles – U.S. $1)

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