Russian stocks rise on fading sanctions threat, crude above $65

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market bounced back to regain previous days’ losses on Friday thanks to a fading negative sentiment ahead of fresh U.S. sanctions and a favorable external background, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index grew 1.19% to 2,490.16 and the RTS rose 1.83% to 1,177.50.

“The Russian stock market has found the strength to grow following two consecutive days of sales. The MOEX Russia Index’s 2,450 mark resisted double-size trade volume. The market hopes that the package of U.S. sanctions against Russia will not be approved fully like it happened in autumn,” Otkritie Broker analyst Andrei Kochetkov said.

Russia’s most liquid stocks including top banks Sberbank and VTB Bank and gas giant Gazprom saw an active upward correction. Gazprom was additionally supported by the new that it will launch gas exports to China via the Sila Sibiri pipeline ahead of schedule on December 1.

Senior analyst at Promsvyazbank Bogdan Zvarich said that the domestic market was backed by a favorable global environment with the Brent crude price consolidating above U.S. $65 per barrel and the major European and U.S. stock exchanges trading in the positive territory.

Fertilizer maker Acron added 1.05% to 4,800 rubles after its board of directors recommended paying 130 rubles of undistributed profit for previous years per share in dividends.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+1.75	208	16.440
Gazprom	+2.51	159.04	3.863
Lukoil	+1.22	5426	2.468
Yandex	-2.82	2200.2	2.445
Norilsk Nickel	+0.07	13750	1.867

(66.5429 rubles – U.S. $1)

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