Stock Markets April 8, 2026 05:20 PM

Moscow equities fall as energy and industrial names weigh on MOEX - Index down 1.13%

Rosneft, TATNEFT and PhosAgro lead declines while Aeroflot and VK post gains; volatility rises to one-month high

By Sofia Navarro ROSN
Moscow equities fall as energy and industrial names weigh on MOEX - Index down 1.13%
ROSN

Moscow-share indexes closed lower on Wednesday, driven by losses across the Oil & Gas, Power and Manufacturing sectors. The MOEX Russia Index finished the session down 1.13%, with more decliners than advancers on the exchange and a notable rise in implied volatility for index options. Commodity and FX moves were mixed, with June gold stronger, May U.S. crude weaker, and the US Dollar Index Futures trading lower.

Key Points

  • MOEX Russia Index closed down 1.13%, with declines concentrated in Oil & Gas, Power and Manufacturing sectors.
  • Notable individual moves: Rosneft, TATNEFT, and PhosAgro were the largest decliners while Aeroflot, VK and AFK Sistema outperformed.
  • Market volatility rose - the Russian Volatility Index (RVI) climbed 13.76% to 26.87, a one-month high; commodities and FX showed mixed moves.

Russian equities ended Wednesday's session with net losses as sector weakness in Oil & Gas, Power and Manufacturing pressured the market. The MOEX Russia Index closed down 1.13% in Moscow trading.

Top performers

  • Aeroflot PJSC (MCX:AFLT) led gains on the index, rising 3.33% or 1.61 points to finish at 49.95.
  • VK Company Ltd (MCX:VKCO) added 2.34% or 6.20 points to close at 271.50.
  • AFK Sistema PJSC (MCX:AFKS) climbed 1.91% or 0.23 points to end the session at 12.49.

Largest decliners

  • Rosneft PJSC (MCX:ROSN) fell 3.95% or 18.85 points to close at 458.85.
  • TATNEFT n.a. V.D. Shashin (MCX:TATN) dropped 3.86% or 25.40 points to finish at 632.60.
  • PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) declined 2.89% or 210.00 points to end at 7,062.00.

On the Moscow Stock Exchange, falling issues outnumbered rising ones by 123 to 113, while 14 stocks ended unchanged.

The Russian Volatility Index - RVI, which tracks implied volatility for options on the MOEX Russia Index, rose 13.76% to 26.87, marking a one-month high for the measure.

Commodities and FX

In commodity markets, Gold Futures for June delivery advanced 1.29% or 60.45 to trade at 4,745.15 per troy ounce. U.S. crude for May delivery weakened sharply, falling 14.56% or 16.45 to settle at 96.50 a barrel, while the June Brent contract inched up 0.29% or 0.28 to 96.67 a barrel.

On the foreign exchange front, USD/RUB was unchanged at 78.34, and EUR/RUB was unchanged at 91.61. The US Dollar Index Futures traded lower by 0.83% at 98.85.


Notes: This report summarizes market moves in Moscow at the close of trading on Wednesday and records closing levels and percentage changes for selected stocks, indexes, commodity contracts, and exchange rates referenced above.

Risks

  • Elevated equity volatility as indicated by the RVI - this can affect trading conditions and cost of hedging for derivatives and for investors in Russian stocks (impacts equity and derivatives markets).
  • Significant declines in major energy names - continued weakness in Oil & Gas sector equities could pressure sector-specific portfolios and related revenue expectations (impacts energy and energy-linked financials).
  • Large intraday movement in crude oil prices - sharp changes in oil prices may create earnings volatility for resource companies and influence wider market sentiment (impacts commodities and energy sectors).

More from Stock Markets

UK investment industry urges regulator to clarify risk messaging to draw in retail savers Apr 8, 2026 OpenAI to Hold Back Retail Allocation in Planned IPO, CFO Says Apr 8, 2026 AI-Selected Stocks Lead a Broad Market Rally After Oil Falls on Ceasefire News Apr 8, 2026 Apogee Acquisition Raises $172.5 Million in NASDAQ IPO Apr 8, 2026 Mexican equities climb as S&P/BMV IPC posts 2.47% gain, hitting one-month high Apr 8, 2026