MOSCOW: Russia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Power, Oil & Gas and Mining sectors led shares lower. At the close in Moscow, the MICEX lost 1.01% to hit a new 1-month low.The best performers of the session on the MICEX were NPK OVK PAO (MCX:UWGN), which rose 2.66% or 21.5 points to trade at 830.0 at the close. Meanwhile, MegaFon OAO (MCX:MFON) added 1.65% or 10.50 points to end at 645.60 and NMTP (MCX:NMTP) was up 1.36% or 0.0900 points to 6.7250 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Rosseti ao (MCX:RSTI), which fell 5.86% or 0.0686 points to trade at 1.1014 at the close. FSK EES (MCX:FEES) declined 5.04% or 0.0126 points to end at 0.2364 and Magnit (MCX:MGNT) was down 3.63% or 346.0 points to 9194.0.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 152 to 73 and 18 ended unchanged. Shares in NPK OVK PAO (MCX:UWGN) rose to all time highs; up 2.66% or 21.5 to 830.0. The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MICEX options, was down 1.65% to 24.390.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.44% or 5.45 to $1233.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 1.56% or 0.85 to hit $53.48 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract fell 1.64% or 0.93 to trade at $55.73 a barrel. USD/RUB was up 0.94% to 57.9550, while EUR/RUB rose 1.02% to 61.160. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.04% at 101.41.
