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RTS index up 0.30%, MOEX index up 0.79% as Friday’s trading closes

Positive mood on world markets could counterbalance negative concerns about geopolitics, says Alexander Bakhtin, an investment strategist at BCS World of Investments

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. The Russian stock indices completed this week’s trading on a positive territory, despite the decline in oil prices and the Friday factor, which usually significantly holds back buyers.

By the end of the trading session on the Moscow Exchange, the MOEX index rose by 0.79% to 2,272.20 points, the dollar-denominated RTS index went up by 0.30% to 945.41 points.

By the end of the day the dollar-to-ruble rate grew by 0.31% to 75.63 rubles, the euro rate rose by 0.83% to 80.29 rubles, the yuan rate edged up by 0.06% to 10.93 rubles.

Positive mood on world markets could counterbalance negative concerns about geopolitics, says Alexander Bakhtin, an investment strategist at BCS World of Investments. February business activity indices in the service sector in China and the US (PMI) were better than expected.

On Friday, "second tier" shares were leaders in terms of growth again: preferred shares of the Krasny Oktyabr confectionery factory rose by 28.6%, while its ordinary shares rose by 5.7%, said Natalya Milchakova, leading analyst Freedom Finance Global. The shares of the Belon coal company went up 26.4%, the shares of Magadanenergo rose in price by 22.4% and shares of the machine-building plant ChKPZ rose by 12.4%.

The leaders of the decrease were the shares of DEC company (-0.4%), which had previously strongly risen in price, and the shares of Detsky Mir retailer, which was leaving the Moscow Exchange (-0.14%).

On Monday, March 6, BCS World of Investments expects the MOEX index to be in the range of 2,200-2,300 points, at the dollar-to-ruble rate - 74-76 rubles. Freedom Finance Global expects that on Monday the MOEX index may fluctuate in the corridor of 2,200-2,300 points, the dollar/ruble pair - in the range of 74-76 rubles, euro/ruble pair - in the range of 79-81 rubles, yuan/ruble pair - in the corridor 10.7-11 rubles.

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