Russian stocks seen flat on rising oil prices, mixed US futures

MOSCOW, Dec 22 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market will likely open with marginal changes on Wednesday, as an increase of the oil prices is offset by mixed dynamics of U.S. futures, analysts said.

"The U.S. stock market futures fluctuate within 0.2% today in the morning. Brent contracts grew by 0.4%. The gold futures almost did not change. China's Shanghai Composite balanced between a rise and a fall. Japan's Nikkei225 fell by 0.1%," Vitaly Manzhos, Algo Capital's senior risk manager, said.

He added that a mixed external background signals a neutral opening of the market's morning session in Russia.

According to Manzhos, the rising stakes in Russia–NATO’s spat have not form a negative trend. Investors apparently hope for the start of negotiations in the medium term.

Bogdan Zvarich, senior analyst of Banki.ru, said that investors ignored the risks of new lockdowns across the world as well, but a wide range of assets can be hurt by an imminent revision of the global economic growth dynamics.

Manzhos also said that a set of U.S. statistics later on Wednesday would affect the Russian market in the evening with the weekly oil reserves change being the most significant. In other aspects, the market would likely consolidate.

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