Russia stocks lower at close of trade; MOEX Russia Index unchanged

Russian stocks ended the Saturday session in negative territory, with sector performance shaping the day's overall move.

At the closing bell in Moscow, the MOEX Russia Index held unchanged, showing no change from its previous close.

The session's top performers on the MOEX Russia Index included Rosneft PJSC (MCX:ROSN), which advanced 3.01%, or 9.70 points, to close at 331.65. Aeroflot PJSC (MCX:AFLT) gained 1.10%, or 0.37 points, to settle at 34.06, and Novolipetsk Steel (MCX:NLMK) added 0.70%, or 0.52 points, to finish at 75.12.

Leading the declines, PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) fell 0.72%, or 42.00 points, to 5,782.00 at the close. United Company Rusal IPJSC (MCX:RUAL) slipped 0.66%, or 0.18 points, to end at 27.12, while Polyus PJSC (MCX:PLZL) was down 0.46%, or 4.60 points, at 999.60.

On the Moscow Exchange, advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a margin of 148 to 82, with 18 stocks finishing unchanged.

The Russian Volatility Index (RVI), which measures the implied volatility of MOEX Russia Index options, was unchanged at 37.83, recording a 0.00% move.

Gold futures for December delivery fell 1.38%, or 62.70, to $4,477.20 per troy ounce. In energy trading, October crude oil slipped 0.09%, or 0.08, to $91.22 a barrel, while November Brent crude rose 0.35%, or 0.33, to $95.85 a barrel.

The USD/RUB exchange rate declined 0.51% to 86.21, while EUR/RUB dropped 1.05% to 99.66.

The US Dollar Index Futures were up 0.25% at 99.13.