Market close - Russia's benchmark, the MOEX Russia Index, ended the trading day down 0.55% after pressure from the Mining, Oil & Gas and Telecoms sectors pushed equities lower.
Top movers - Among names on the MOEX Russia Index, Mobil'nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX:MTSS) was one of the better performers, firming 0.04% to close at 227.00. GDR ROS AGRO PLC ORD SHS (MCX:AGRODR) finished unchanged at 1,083.80 and was noted at 52-week lows. AFK Sistema PJSC (MCX:AFKS) slipped 0.32% to 13.41 by the session's end.
Largest declines - The session's steepest drops were concentrated in the mining and metals complex. MMC NORILSK NICKEL PJSC (MCX:GMKN) lost 6.12%, ending at 160.10. OK Rusal MKPAO (MCX:RUAL) fell 5.62% to 39.28, while Polyus PJSC (MCX:PLZL) dropped 3.87% to finish at 2,601.20.
Breadth and volatility - Declining issues markedly outnumbered advancers on the Moscow Stock Exchange, with 196 stocks down, 49 advancing and 8 unchanged. The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which tracks implied volatility for MOEX Russia Index options, ticked up 0.34% to 26.61.
Commodities and futures - Commodity markets showed mixed moves during the session. Gold Futures for April delivery registered a decline of 8.80% or 471.26 to $4,883.54 a troy ounce. In oil markets, Crude oil for March delivery rose 0.55% or 0.36 to $65.78 a barrel, while the April Brent contract gained 0.46% or 0.32 to trade at $69.91 a barrel. The US Dollar Index Futures were up 0.88% at 96.99.
Currencies - On the FX front, USD/RUB was higher by 0.07% at 76.00, while EUR/RUB declined 0.89% to 90.09.
Context and closing note - The session closed with notable weakness in metals and energy-linked equities, and with market volatility nudging higher. Broad-based decliners outpaced gainers, and movements in commodities and currency pairs contributed to the trading backdrop.