MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. The Russian stock indices ended trading in the red zone on Wednesday. The MOEX index fell by 1.59% to 3,079.28 points, and the dollar-denominated RTS index dropped by 1.96% to 1,045.28 points.

The yuan-to-ruble rate increased by 0.52% to 12.945 rubles, the dollar rate went up by 0.59% to 92.82 rubles, the euro exchange rate - by 0.17%, to 100.15 rubles.

"The Russian stock market significantly declined by the end of the main trading on Wednesday, having not received short-term optimism during the Sberbank investor day," said Veles Capital analyst Elena Kozhukhova.

The external background was quite positive, with the exception of the oil market, but the statistics of the day remained ambiguous, said Alexander Bakhtin, investment strategist at BCS World of Investments.

The leaders of growth were the shares of Raspadskaya (+1.49%), Magnit (+0.29%).

The leaders of decline were were preferred shares of Mechel (-5.47%), shares of NCSP (-4.99%), shares of Russneft (-4.85%), shares of TMK (-4.7 %), shares of Bank St. Petersburg (-3.78%)," said an analyst at Veles Capital Investment Company.

According to a forecast by the BCS world of investments, on Thursday, December 7, the MOEX index will be in the range of 3,055-3,200 points, while the dollar-to-ruble exchange rate will vary between 90 and 92.5 rubles.

According to Freedom Finance Global, the MOEX index will fluctuate between 3,050 and 3,150 points. The dollar-to-ruble pair will trade in the range of 91.5-95 rubles. Forecast for the euro/ruble pair is 99-102 rubles, for the yuan/ruble - 12.85-13.15 rubles.