Russian stocks rise as oil price, foreign markets grow

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market increased on Friday, as the oil prices started to correct upwards in the evening, and foreign markets grew, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index grew 0.63% to 2,498.23, and the RTS Index increased 0.33% to 1,192.02.

“The MOEX Russia Index and the RTS tried to add a little at the end of the trade on Friday,” Veles Broker analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said.

Brent shed 0.2% as of early evening in Russia on a U.S. crude reserve rise, and forecasts by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) that the U.S. will become a net oil exporter in 2019. But at the end of the trade in Russia, oil quotations were rising by up to 0.5%.

The U.S. and European markets traded in the green zone.

Andrei Kochetkov from Otkritie Broker said that Rosneft corrected upwards after a fall triggered by a political crisis in Venezuela.

Yandex increased 3.31% after CFO Greg Abovsky said that the company can consider dividend payment, Kochetkov said.

Vitaly Manzhos, senior risk manager at investment company Algo Capital, said that Raspadskaya increased 3.58% after releasing strong operating data.

Sistema resumed growth, rising 3.03% after a technical correction, and investors hope that the holding will sell the controlling stake in Detsky Mir, children goods retailer.

Preferred shares of Surgutneftegas declined 0.51%, as investor interest to the stocks as a protective asset faded amid a generally stable market situation, Manzhos said.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	-0.09	212	12.532
Lukoil	+0.36	5215	3.475
Gazprom	+1.19	162.82	3.196
Magnit	-1.53	4191	2.441
Rosneft	+1.35	414	2.049

(66.0016 rubles – U.S. $1)

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