Russian equities advanced at the close of trade on Friday, with the MOEX Russia Index rising 0.60% to 3,302.86, as gains in oil and gas, mining and power sectors offset declines in banking and telecommunications.
Advancers outnumbered decliners 170 to 69 on the Moscow exchange, with 14 issues unchanged. The Russian Volatility Index, which tracks implied volatility for MOEX options, fell 4.05% to 44.77.
Top performers included Norilsk Nickel, which added 3.97% to close at 124.60, and Magnitogorsk Steel, which rose 3.91% to 21.50. ALROSA advanced 3.17% to 19.52. On the downside, Moskovskiy Kreditnyi Bank dropped 2.93% to 11.13, while Rostelekom fell 0.44% to 41.17 and Surgutneftegas declined 0.31% to 39.97.
The Russian ruble firmed 1.28% against the euro to 96.56, though it weakened 0.16% versus the dollar to 83.88. The U.S. Dollar Index futures were little changed at 98.77.
Commodities showed mixed performance, with gold futures for December delivery up 1.97% at $4,661.60 per troy ounce. October crude oil futures fell 0.22% to $86.64 per barrel, while Brent crude for October delivery rose 0.16% to $93.93 per barrel.
