Stocks rise on hopes for peace deal for Russia, Ukraine

MOSCOW, Apr 1 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market continued rising on Friday in correction after a slump at the beginning of March, while investor for peaceful negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv also supported the shares, analysts said.

The MOEX Russia Index rose 2.08% to 2,759.64 and the RTS increased 1.20% to 1,033.58.

“The financial sector growth over the past days could be explained mainly by a correctional recovery … The international stock floors waited for geopolitical and macroeconomic news, maintaining the optimistic mood prior to the next round of video negotiations between Russia and Ukraine,” Veles Capital’s analyst Yelena Kozhukhova said. 

The European bourses rose Thursday’s sales, while the futures for the U.S. stock indices grew ahead of a release of the March key labor market and production activity statistics, Kozhukhova said.

Dmitry Babin, stock market expert at BCS World of investment, said the ban on sales from foreigners and the will of national investors to protect their money from inflation and depreciation of the ruble support the upward movement of the stock market while investors were waiting for the progress in negotiations of Russia and Ukraine.

Vladislav Silayev, senior trader at managing company Alfa-Capital, said that the Russian market liquidity returned to its average figures, which is a good signal.

Kozhukhova also said that the shares of gas giant Gazprom grew by 3.68% to 251.40 rubles as the company was preparing for a switch of payments from the European consumers in rubles.

Coal producer Raspadskaya lost 6.18% to 396.95 rubles as its owner Evraz cancelled a spin-off of the company because the sanctions precluded it, she said.

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

Company	Change, %	Last price, rbl	Trading volume, bln rbl
Sberbank	+7.52	154.50	18.022
Gazprom	+3.68	251.40	12.715
VTB	+13.64	0.0225	5.285
Yandex	+2.92	2325.00	5.069
Rosneft	+2.86	450.00	2.816

(83.4097 rubles – U.S. $1)

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