OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2011. For the week of February 28 - March 4, 2011 the Russian stock market experienced an upturn of prices.

The RTS Index (RTSI) went up to 2,025.17 points (4.78%) from 1,932.82 points as of February 25, 2011. At the end of the week the RTS Index was 5.01% higher than a month ago (1,928.58 points as of February 4, 2011) and 34.28% higher than a year ago (1,508.21 points as of March 5, 2010).

Growth on the stock market was accompanied by a decrease of volatility levels when the Russian Volatility Index RTSVX went down by 2.31%.

Over the week the US dollar lost 3.33% against the Russian ruble.

Out of 50 RTSI constituents 40 were pushing the Index upwards (plus 93.27 points overall), whereas 5 securities behaved negatively (down 0.93 points in total), price for five securities remained unchanged.

The positive effect leaders were ordinary shares of JSC  "LUKOIL" (plus 17.08 points), Gazprom (plus 15.79 points) and "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" (plus 12.84 points).

The negative impact was mainly related to the falling prices for ordinary shares of JSC "IDGC Holding" (down 0.39 points).

In the oil and gas sector 51.23% of the RTSI total capitalization was concentrated. The other large-weight sectors were banks & finance (16.17%) and metals & mining (16.07%).

On the sector level the major positive contributors were the oil & gas sector (plus 49.15 points in total) and metallurgy (plus 18.97 points in total).

RTSI Futures Contracts

The weekly trading volume in the RTSI derivatives amounted to 833.02 billion rubles or 7.43 million contracts. Futures contracts on the RTS Index made up 67.14% of the total FORTS turnover (Futures and Options on RTS) in cash terms.

With the RTSI gaining 4.78%, March contracts went up by 4.90% by the settlement date and June contracts grew by 4.55%.

During the reviewed period RTSI linked futures were trading below the spot. By the end of the week March contracts were 2.22 points in backwardation, while for June contracts backwardation stood at 27.12 points.

For the week the total investor's open interest measured in contracts increased by 2.08%.

The RTS Standard Index

For the week of February 28 - March 4, 2011 the ruble RTS Standard Index showed a positive trend.

The RTS Standard Index went up by 1.94% to 12,190.66 points (11,958.67 points as of February 25, 2011). At the end of the week the RTS Standard Index was 0.73% higher than a month ago (12,102.33 points as of February 4, 2011) and 24.80% higher than a year ago (9,768.22 points as of March 5, 2010).

Out of 15 RTS Standard Index constituents nine were pushing the Index upwards (plus 254.93 points overall), whereas six securities behaved negatively (down 22.93 points in total).

The positive effect leaders were ordinary shares of JSC  "Lukoil" (plus 74.20 points) and "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" (plus 63.32 points).

The negative impact was mainly related to the falling prices for ordinary shares of Rosneft (down 14.63 points).

Out of the blue chips the top risers were preferred shares of Transneft, that gained 5.78% and ordinary shares of "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" and JSC  "Lukoil" that went up by 4.74% and 3.42% respectively.

The oil & gas sector accounted for 57.22% of the RTS Standard Index' total capitalization. The other large-weight sectors were finance (19.75%) and metallurgy (14.22%).

Second-tier stocks

For the week of February 28 - March 4, 2011 the second tier stocks market demonstrated a positive dynamic.

Over the reviewed period the RTS-2 Index added 2.46% to reach 2,348.82 points (2,292.39 points as of February 25, 2011). At the end of the week the RTS-2 Index was 1. 17% higher than a month ago (2,321.56 points as of February 4, 2011), and 42.36% higher than a year ago (1,649.88 points as of March 5, 2010).

32 constituents out of 68 stocks on the basis of which the RTS-2 Index is calculated had a positive impact on the RTS-2 Index (plus 73.57 points overall), 16 instruments pulled the Index downwards (down 17.14 points). The price for 20 securities remained unchanged.

Most of the positive effect was related to the growing prices for ordinary shares of OJSC "Magnit" (plus 18.27 points), JSC "Polymetal" (plus 9.46 points) and JSC "OGK-4" (plus 4.48 points).

The negative impact was mainly due to the falling prices for ordinary shares of JSC "TGC-1" (down 5.73 points).

In terms of weight in the RTS-2 Index, the power sector was the largest (28.1%), followed by the consumer goods & trading sector (18.0%) and metals & mining sector (14.5%).

Most of the RTS-2 Index growth was due to the positive contributions by the securities of the following sectors: consumer & retail (plus 18.50 points in total) and metallurgy (plus 10.24 points in total).

RTS Siberia Index

For the week of February 28 - March 4, 2011 stocks constituting the RTS Siberia Index experienced a multidirectional trend.

The RTS Siberia Index lost 0.07% to close at 998.14 points (998.83 points as of February 25, 2011). At the end of the week the RTS Siberia Index was 0.56% higher than a month ago (1,003.74 points as of February 4, 2011) and 17.23% higher than a year ago (851.44 points as of March 5, 2010).

Out of the 11 component stocks five were moving the RTS Siberia Index down (down 12.60 points), three securities pushed the Index up (plus 11.91 points). The price for three securities remained unchanged.

The most negative impact on RTS Siberia Index was coming from the price decline of ordinary shares of JSC  Raspadskaya (down 6.96 points) and OJSC Sibirtelekom (down 2.46 points).

The positive effect leaders were ordinary shares of "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" (plus 7.57 points).

The metallurgy sector accounted for 38.9% of the RTS Siberia Index' total capitalization. The other large-weight sectors were power (31.6%) and oil & gas (18.0%).

The RTS family of indices

Index

Last

Change over (Period), %

Value

Week

Month

Quarter

Year

RTS Index

2,025.17

4.78%

5.01%

20.02%

34.28%

RTS Standard Index

12,190.66

1.94%

0.73%

8.80%

24.80%

RTS-2 Index

2,348.82

2.46%

1.17%

11.50%

42.36%

RTS Metals & Mining Index

380.42

5.38%

2.96%

17.80%

41.96%

RTS Oil & Gas Index

242.5

4.81%

7.59%

27.04%

31.66%

RTS Consumer & Retail Index

448.71

2.17%

0.17%

8.41%

64.70%

RTS Industrial Index

242.67

1.69%

2.73%

21.95%

53.55%

RTS Telecom Index

302.21

3.93%

6.06%

22.09%

43.81%

RTS Finances Index

497.28

3.10%

3.43%

17.75%

19.41%

RTS Electric Utilities Index

274.75

1.45%

-3.23%

1.63%

17.25%

RTS Siberia Index

998.14

-0.07%

-0.56%

3.71%

17.23%

Russian Volatility Index

23.441

-2.31%

-3.51%

-5.90%

-23.94%

For the week the RTS Index gained 4.78% to reach 2,025.17 points (1,932.82 points as of February 25, 2011), the RTS Standard Index (blue chips index) went up by 1.94% to end up at 12,190.66 points (11,958.67 points as of February 25, 2011).

Last week's growth on the stock market was accompanied by a decrease of volatility levels when the Russian Volatility Index RTSVX went down by 2.31% to reach 23.44 points (24.00 points as of February 25, 2011).

Last week most of the key economy sectors represented on the Russian stock market demonstrated positive dynamics. The largest growth was shown by the metallurgy. The RTS Metals & Mining Index grew by 5.38%. The substantial upturn was also demonstrated by the oil & gas and telecommunication sectors with the RTS Oil & Gas Index and RTS Telecom Index increasing by 4.81% and 3.93% respectively.

The regional RTS Siberia Index went down by 0.07%.

The US dollar depreciated by 3.33% against the Russian ruble to reach 28.19 rubles per US dollar (29.16 rubles as of February 25, 2011).