MOEX Russia Index Ends Flat as Gold Prices Surge and Oil Mixed

Russian stocks finished Saturday’s trading session largely unchanged, with the MOEX Russia Index closing flat at 0.00% in Moscow. Despite the steady headline figure, individual shares posted modest gains and losses, reflecting mixed investor sentiment across key sectors of the Russian stock market.

Among the top performers on the MOEX Russia Index was Mobil’nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX: MTSS), which advanced 0.53% to close at 236.00. Rosneft PJSC (MCX: ROSN) also recorded gains, rising 0.39% to 397.20, while ROSSETI PJSC (MCX: FEES) edged up 0.35% to finish at 0.07. These gains helped offset declines seen in parts of the banking and metals sectors.

On the downside, Bank VTB PJSC (MCX: VTBR) led losses, falling 0.49% to close at 88.45. AFK Sistema PJSC (MCX: AFKS) slipped 0.23% to 14.13, and Novolipetsk Steel (MCX: NLMK) declined 0.18% to end at 111.06. Overall market breadth remained positive, with 121 stocks advancing, 97 declining, and 23 closing unchanged on the Moscow Stock Exchange.

The Russian Volatility Index (RVI), which tracks implied volatility for MOEX Russia Index options, remained steady at 24.99, indicating stable market expectations.

In the commodities market, gold futures for April delivery surged 1.67% to reach $5,080.90 per troy ounce, reflecting strong demand for safe-haven assets. Crude oil prices were mixed, with April WTI crude dipping 0.06% to $66.39 per barrel, while April Brent crude rose 0.14% to $71.76 per barrel.

In the forex market, the USD/RUB exchange rate eased 0.03% to 76.72, while EUR/RUB gained 0.04% to 90.39. Meanwhile, US Dollar Index futures slipped 0.13% to 97.73, highlighting modest weakness in the greenback.