MOSCOW: Russian MICEX fell 0.19 percent to close at 178 points. Russian stocks losses in the Manufacturing, Mining and Power sectors led shares lower.
Meanwhile, AFK Sistema (MCX:AFKS) added 4.20% or 0.710 points to end at 17.600 and Polymetal International PLC (MCX:POLY) was up 3.47% or 16.50 points to 492.50 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were RDR United Company RUSAL PLC (MCX:RUALR), which fell 5.59% or 20.50 points to trade at 346.00 at the close. LSR (MCX:LSRG) declined 3.84% or 27.0 points to end at 676.0 and Rosseti ao (MCX:RSTI) was down 3.71% or 0.0193 points to 0.5006.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 115 to 71 and 7 ended unchanged.
The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MICEX options, was down 1.09% to 41.000 a new 3-month low.
Gold for April delivery was up 0.48% or 5.70 to $1197.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 1.79% or 0.85 to hit $48.36 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 1.46% or 0.81 to trade at $55.91 a barrel.
USD/RUB was down 0.56% to 57.438, while EUR/RUB fell 0.09% to 62.983.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.31% at 97.12.
