Norilsk Nickel, Surgutneftegas, Rostelecom push Russian stock market 1380 pts down
MOSCOW. May 2 (Interfax) - The Russian stock market showed mixed blue chip price dynamics on Thursday, with the MICEX index sliding below 1380 points due to drops in Norilsk Nickel and Rostelecom shares after shareholders' registers were cut off, and because of the lowest 2013 record of Surgutneftegas .
On the other hand, Sberbank shares and shares in energy companies were among the best-performing.
The MICEX index ended the trading day down 0.7% at 1376.56 points as the RTS index slumped 1.4 to 1387.47 points. The ruble prices for the majority of blue chips shrank by up to 5% at the Moscow Exchange .
The worst performers after Tuesday's closure of the shareholders' registers were Norilsk Nickel (-8.1%) and Rostelecom (-2.6% and -3.1% preferred shares). Surgutneftegas shares went further down, with the company's net profit plummeting 34% to 180.12 billion rubles.
Surgutneftegas' ordinary shares fell by 4% to 25.68 rubles and its preferred shares dropped by 5% to 20.86 rubles.
Others that recorded decreases were VTB (-1.9%), Gazprom (-1%), Polyus Gold (-1.7%), and Tatneft (-2.8%).
Those whose shares went up included Sberbank of Russia (+1.8% to 100.86 rubles). Gazprom Neft (+1.6%), and Rosneft (+0.3%).
Others that rallied were energy companies, representing a sector that has been largely oversold since the start of the year. They were Inter RAO UES (+9.9%), FGC UES (+9.3%), OGK-2 (+6.7%), Russian Grids (+5.1%), RAO ES Vostoka (+8.8%), RusHydro (+3.6%), and Mosenegro (+1.4%).
On the Moscow Exchange's second tier, the worst performers were Bashneft (-6.4% and -9.8% preferred shares), Seligdar (-6.9%), and Samaraenergo (-14.6% preferred shares).
Pharmacy Chain 36.6 gained 6.8%, Belona rose 6.1%, and Pharmstandard moved up 5.7%.
Share trading on the main Moscow Exchange market amounted to 18.8 billion rubles (with a 4.949-billion-ruble proportion of this involved in transactions with Sberbank ordinary shares). Trade in the Standard sector amounted to $12.446 million. No deals were registered in the Classic sector.
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