Russian stocks closed weaker on Saturday as the MOEX Russia Index remained flat at 0.00%, marking a new one-month low. Market sentiment was mixed, with energy and financial stocks providing slight support, while construction and metals weighed on the index.
Transneft PJSC Pref (MCX:TRNF_p) led the session’s gainers, rising 0.22% to 1,292.00. Surgutneftegas PJSC (MCX:SNGS) followed with a 0.20% increase to 22.32, while Bank VTB PJSC (MCX:VTBR) added 0.18% to close at 76.00.
On the downside, PIK SHb PJSC (MCX:PIKK) dropped 1.94% to 590.60, posting the sharpest loss of the day. Aluminum producer OK Rusal MKPAO (MCX:RUAL) slipped 1.23% to 32.99, while fertilizer giant PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) fell 1.17% to 7,033.00. Overall, declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones by 110 to 102, with 18 remaining unchanged.
Volatility spiked as the Russian Volatility Index (RVI), which tracks implied market swings, climbed 4.81% to 33.56.
In commodities, Gold Futures for December rose 0.35% to $3,686.40 per troy ounce, signaling ongoing investor demand for safe-haven assets. Crude oil prices also strengthened, with October WTI crude up 0.51% to $62.69 a barrel and November Brent crude gaining 0.93% to $66.99.
Currency markets saw the Russian ruble advance. The USD/RUB dropped 0.59% to 84.00, while EUR/RUB slipped 0.59% to 98.57. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index Futures edged up 0.01% to 97.54.
The session reflected cautious investor sentiment, with global commodity trends and currency shifts adding further pressure to Moscow’s equity market.