MOSCOW: Russia stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Mining, Oil & Gas and Telecoms sectors led shares higher. At the close in Moscow, the MICEX added 0.06%. The best performers of the session on the MICEX were MMK (MCX:MAGN), which rose 3.85% or 1.335 points to trade at 36.000 at the close. Meanwhile, AK Transneft OAO Pref (MCX:TRNF_p) added 3.58% or 7250 points to end at 209850 and DIXY Group ao (MCX:DIXY) was up 3.47% or 9.00 points to 268.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Rosseti ao (MCX:RSTI), which fell 2.03% or 0.0252 points to trade at 1.2178 at the close. Rostelecom (MCX:RTKM) declined 2.01% or 1.69 points to end at 82.31 and Bashneft ANK ao (MCX:BANE) was down 1.96% or 71.5 points to 3581.0.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 115 to 104 and 17 ended unchanged. Shares in MMK (MCX:MAGN) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 3.85% or 1.335 to 36.000. The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MICEX options, was down 0.72% to 21.940. Gold for February delivery was down 0.95% or 11.55 to $1199.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 0.15% or 0.08 to hit $53.26 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.05% or 0.03 to trade at $55.47 a barrel. USD/RUB was down 0.07% to 59.2125, while EUR/RUB rose 0.07% to 63.618. The US Dollar Index was down 0.26% at 100.01.
