MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. The ruble-denominated MOEX Index fell 2.34% to end Thursday's main trading session at 2,121.53 points, while the dollar-denominated RTS Index shed 0.26% to close at 801.79 points. The Chinese yuan edged down 10 kopecks to 12.32 rubles.

"The MOEX Index opened in positive territory today, briefly paring gains near the 2,190-point mark before plunging into negative territory during afternoon trading. The intraday correction was likely triggered by corporate news flow and a strengthening ruble," said Andrey Smirnov, a stock market analyst at BCS World of Investments.

"Shares in Glorax PJSC (+12.3%) surged following the company’s announcement of a restructuring plan via a merger with specialized developer NTVO LLC," noted Natalia Milchakova, lead analyst at Freedom Global.

According to Milchakova, Credit Bank of Moscow (MKB) underperformed the market, with its shares dropping 8.5% on no immediate news, likely because the stock hit a "fair value" target set by independent appraisers.

BCS World of Investments expects the MOEX Index to trade within the 2,080-2,180 range on Friday. The brokerage forecasts the ruble to trade at 82-84 per US dollar and 12.2-12.5 per yuan.

Freedom Global projects the MOEX Index to fluctuate between 2,110 and 2,200 points on Friday. Its exchange rate forecasts stand at 81-83 per dollar, 96-98 per euro, and 12.2-12.6 per yuan.