MOSCOW: Russia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Mining, Telecoms and Power sectors led shares lower. At the close in Moscow, the MICEX lost 1.12% to hit a new 52-week low.
The best performers of the session on the MICEX were PhosAgro ao (MCX:PHOR), which rose 1.57% or 34.0 points to trade at 2203.0 at the close. Meanwhile, ANK Bashneft OAO Pref (MCX:BANE_p) added 1.20% or 12.5 points to end at 1050.0 and Inter rao ees (MCX:IRAO) was up 1.18% or 0.0450 points to 3.8450 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were PIK (MCX:PIKK), which fell 4.89% or 14.90 points to trade at 290.10 at the close. Moskovskaya Birzha OAO (MCX:MOEX) declined 4.44% or 4.77 points to end at 102.73 and AFK Sistema (MCX:AFKS) was down 4.12% or 0.520 points to 12.100. Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 163 to 67 and 10 ended unchanged. Shares in PhosAgro ao (MCX:PHOR) rose to 52-week lows; up 1.57% or 34.0 to 2203.0.
The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MICEX options, was down 0.98% to 24.230. Gold Futures for August delivery was down 1.56% or 19.92 to $1255.98 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.49% or 0.22 to hit $44.51 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.19% or 0.09 to trade at $46.91 a barrel. USD/RUB was up 0.71% to 57.8398, while EUR/RUB rose 0.09% to 64.4030. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.59% at 97.48.
