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Russian stock market closes lower on major indices

The yuan declined by 5.7 kopecks to 10.71 rubles

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. The ruble-denominated MOEX Index fell 0.94% to 2,633.84 points at the close of main trading on Friday, while the dollar-denominated RTS Index shed 0.92% to 1,134.62 points. The yuan eased by 5.7 kopecks to 10.711 rubles.

"Ahead of the weekend, the market is unable to build on the recovery that emerged in the first half of the week. <...> From a technical standpoint, a more pronounced rebound requires breaking through resistance in the 2,680-2,690 range for the MOEX Index," Alexander Dudnikov, an analyst at Tsifra Broker investment company, noted.

"MGTS preferred shares (+22.02%) soared after the issuer announced a share buyback on the exchange from June 10 to September 13 at 1,051 rubles per share, representing a 60% premium to the market," Natalia Milchakova, lead analyst at Freedom Finance Global, said.

Surgutneftegas shares (-2.4%) led the decline, potentially triggered by the issuer's disclosure of a 0.85-ruble dividend per common and preferred share for 2025, she added.

Freedom Finance Global expects the MOEX Index to move within the 2,650-2,750 range on Monday. Its forecast for the dollar, euro, and yuan stands at 72-74 rubles, 84-86 rubles, and 10.7-11.2 rubles, respectively.

"The MOEX Index could again slide into a sideways band of 2,600-2,660 points. <...> The outlook for the ruble against the dollar for the upcoming week is 72-74, and 10.6-11.05 against the yuan," Andrey Smirnov, a stock market expert at BCS World of Investments, said.

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