Russian stocks seen edging up at opening on rising Asian indices

MOSCOW, Mar 15 (PRIME) -- The Russian stock market will likely open higher on Wednesday on the back of an increase of the markets in Asia and consolidation of oil prices and the U.S. stocks futures, analysts said.

"The global market mood on Wednesday in the morning can be characterized as positive," Bogdan Zvarich, senior analyst at financial platform Banki.ru, said.

"The leading Asian floors added 1.2%. The Japanese market decreased by 0.3% is an exception. The key U.S. indices' futures consolidated below closing after confident growth of Tuesday. The nearest Brent futures grew by 1% to about U.S. $78.2 per barrel," the analyst said.

Vitaly Manzhos, senior risk manager at Algo Capital, said that the effect of the oil prices on the Russian market was decreasing gradually and reached a minimum since the G7 states capped the prices of Russian oil and oil products. The country's black fleet of oil tankers amounts to about 600 and keeps growing bypassing the price ceiling, Manzhos said.

The MOEX Russia Index may open 0.5% higher at 2,280–2,300. The levels of 2,270 and 2,250 are seen as support and of 2,310, 2,320 resistance, he said.

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