MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russia’s stock market rallied sharply amid the Central Bank’s decision to keep the key rate at 21% per annum, with the RTS Index having exceeded 800 points for the first time since December 10, according to the Moscow Exchange trading data.

As of 4:34 p.m. Moscow time (1:34 p.m. GMT), the RTS was up by 8.77% at 800.61 points.

By 4:50 p.m. Moscow time (1:50 p.m. GMT), the RTS had slightly narrowed gains to 8.26% trading at 796.83 points, while the MOEX Index was up by 8.26% at 2,615.98 points.