Investing.com – Russia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Power, Oil & Gas and Telecoms sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Moscow, the MICEX gained 2.08% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the MICEX were RusHydro JSC (MCX:HYDR), which rose 6.06% or 0.0409 points to trade at 0.7154 at the close. Meanwhile, PIK (MCX:PIKK) added 5.85% or 12.20 points to end at 220.90 and Inter rao ees (MCX:IRAO) was up 5.60% or 0.0790 points to 1.4900 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Yandex NV (MCX:YNDX), which fell 2.87% or 30.00 points to trade at 1014.00 at the close. Niznekamskneftekhim ao (MCX:NKNC) declined 2.25% or 1.100 points to end at 47.800 and NLMK ao (MCX:NLMK) was down 1.91% or 1.44 points to 74.11.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 129 to 77 and 27 ended unchanged.
Shares in RusHydro JSC (MCX:HYDR) rose to 52-week highs; up 6.06% or 0.0409 to 0.7154. Shares in Inter rao ees (MCX:IRAO) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 5.60% or 0.0790 to 1.4900.
The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MICEX options, was down 1.85% to 42.420.
Gold for April delivery was up 0.97% or 11.80 to $1223.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 1.01% or 0.31 to hit $30.97 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 0.32% or 0.11 to trade at $34.61 a barrel.
USD/RUB was up 1.51% to 76.1762, while EUR/RUB rose 0.89% to 84.541.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.06% at 96.93.