Market close
Russia's benchmark equities finished the trading day higher, with the MOEX Russia Index rising 0.31% to close at a new three-month high. Gains were concentrated in the Mining, Oil & Gas and Manufacturing sectors, which together pushed the index upward by the end of the Moscow session.
Top movers
The session's strongest performers included Novolipetsk Steel (MCX:NLMK), which jumped 6.09% - adding 6.60 points to finish at 114.96. Bank VTB PJSC (MCX:VTBR) followed closely with a 6.06% increase, up 4.44 points to close at 77.72. Magnitogorskiy Metallurgicheskiy Kombinat PAO (MCX:MAGN) also recorded notable gains, rising 4.79% or 1.42 points to end the day at 31.05.
Lagging shares
On the downside, OK Rusal MKPAO (MCX:RUAL) declined 1.47%, losing 0.62 points to settle at 41.62. Polyus PJSC (MCX:PLZL) fell 1.18%, a drop of 32.40 points to close at 2,705.60, while Surgutneftegas PJSC Pref (MCX:SNGS_p) slipped 1.11%, down 0.50 points to 44.17.
Breadth and volatility
Rising issues outnumbered decliners on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 144 to 98, with 11 stocks finishing unchanged. The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which measures implied volatility in options on the MOEX Russia Index, moved up 1.51% to 26.85, indicating a modest rise in option-implied volatility.
Commodities and currencies
Precious metals and energy contracts gained ground during the day. Gold Futures for April delivery advanced 1.59% - an increase of 84.74 - to reach $5,424.94 a troy ounce. In energy markets, March delivery crude oil rose 3.21%, up $2.03 to $65.24 a barrel, and the April Brent contract climbed 3.00%, adding $2.02 to trade at $69.39 a barrel.
In currency markets, the ruble strengthened against major currencies. USD/RUB declined 0.76% to 75.96, while EUR/RUB fell 1.58% to 90.04. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.20%, trading at 96.09.
Context
The session's price moves show select industrial and financial stocks outperforming, while some large-cap metal and energy names lagged. Commodities and currency shifts accompanied equity moves, with implied volatility rising slightly.