Stock Markets April 18, 2026 05:20 PM

MOEX closes flat as individual Russian stocks diverge; commodities and FX move sharply

Energy and fertilizer names ended higher while banks and miners lagged as oil tumbled and currencies shifted

By Priya Menon ROSN
MOEX closes flat as individual Russian stocks diverge; commodities and FX move sharply
ROSN

The MOEX Russia Index finished unchanged at the close on Saturday, with a mix of gains and losses among large-cap names. Energy and fertilizer-linked stocks were among the session's best performers, while a regional bank and several miners posted declines. Commodity markets and the ruble displayed notable intraday moves, and the Russian Volatility Index held steady.

Key Points

  • The MOEX Russia Index closed unchanged at 0.00% at the Moscow market close.
  • Energy and fertilizer-related stocks such as TATN_p, ROSN and PHOR were among the session's top gainers, while a bank and several miners - including CBOM, GMKN and PLZL - registered losses.
  • Commodities and currency markets showed notable moves: gold rose, both U.S. crude and Brent fell sharply, and the ruble strengthened modestly versus the dollar and euro.

Russian equities closed mixed on Saturday as the MOEX Russia Index finished the session unchanged. Market breadth favored advancers, but several prominent companies moved in opposite directions, mirroring volatility in commodity and currency markets.

At the close in Moscow the benchmark MOEX Russia Index was unchanged at 0.00%.

Top gains

  • TATNEFT n.a. V.D. Shashin Pref (MCX:TATN_p) led the gainers, rising 1.44% or 7.70 points to finish at 542.90.
  • Rosneft PJSC (MCX:ROSN) added 1.41% or 6.05 points to close at 434.00.
  • PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) advanced 1.16% or 80.00 points to end the session at 6,961.00.

Laggers

  • Moskovskiy Kreditnyi Bank PAO (MCX:CBOM) was the weakest performer, slipping 1.57% or 0.12 points to 7.71.
  • MMC NORILSK NICKEL PJSC (MCX:GMKN) declined 1.03% or 1.40 points to 136.30.
  • Polyus PJSC (MCX:PLZL) fell 0.97% or 22.00 points to 2,241.20.

On the Moscow exchange, rising issues outnumbered decliners by 139 to 84, while 22 stocks finished unchanged.

The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which reflects implied volatility in options on the MOEX Russia Index, was unchanged at 20.45, representing a 0.00% move for the session.

Commodities and currencies

Commodity markets showed marked moves. Gold futures for June delivery rose 1.48% or 71.30 to trade at 4,879.60 a troy ounce. Oil fell sharply - U.S. crude for May delivery dropped 11.45% or 10.84 to $83.85 a barrel, while the June Brent contract fell 9.07% or 9.01 to $90.38 a barrel.

Foreign exchange rates moved modestly against the ruble. USD/RUB declined 0.47% to 76.00, and EUR/RUB was down 0.62% to 89.40. The US Dollar Index Futures fell 0.13% to 97.90.

Overall, the session left the MOEX index unchanged though individual sectors and commodities exhibited meaningful intraday shifts.

Risks

  • Sharp declines in oil prices present downside risk for energy and resource-linked equities, which could weigh on related sectors.
  • Currency fluctuations - movements in USD/RUB and EUR/RUB - may introduce volatility for import-dependent companies and financials.
  • Concentration of gains and losses among a limited number of large-cap stocks could increase index-level sensitivity to single-stock moves.

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