Russian equities finished the Thursday session in positive territory, driven by gains in Oil & Gas, Telecoms and Manufacturing names.
At the close in Moscow, the MOEX Russia Index was up 0.63%.
The top performers on the MOEX included Rosneft PJSC (MCX:ROSN), which climbed 2.47% or 12.05 points to end the session at 499.00. LUKOIL PJSC (MCX:LKOH) added 1.56% or 89.50 points to close at 5,811.00, while NOVATEK PJSC (MCX:NVTK) advanced 1.53% or 21.10 points to finish at 1,404.00.
On the downside, Federal Hydro Generating Company RusHydro PJSC (MCX:HYDR) declined 1.41% or 0.01 points to 0.45 at the close. Severstal PJSC (MCX:CHMF) slipped 1.31% or 12.20 points to end at 919.60, and Magnit PJSC (MCX:MGNT) gave up 1.14% or 37.00 points to trade at 3,198.50.
Decliners outpaced advancers on the Moscow Stock Exchange, with 132 shares falling versus 102 gaining; 19 issues finished unchanged.
NOVATEK reached a new 52-week high during the session, closing up 1.53% or 21.10 points at 1,404.00.
The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which reflects implied volatility for MOEX Russia Index options, fell 3.23% to 22.14, marking a 52-week low.
Commodities trading showed a mixed picture. Gold Futures for April delivery moved lower, down 1.83% or 95.00 to $5,084.10 a troy ounce. By contrast, Crude oil for April delivery registered a notable jump, rising 10.48% or 9.14 to $96.39 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract inched up 0.20% or 0.20 to $101.46 a barrel.
Foreign exchange rates were unchanged in reported pairs: USD/RUB held steady at 80.00 (0.00% change) and EUR/RUB remained at 91.52 (0.00% change). The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.54% to 99.76.
Market participants will note the session's combination of sector leadership in energy and industry, a significant move in crude prices, and diminished option-implied volatility as reflected by the RVI decline. Breadth remained mixed despite the index gain, with more issues falling than rising on the exchange.