OREANDA-NEWS. March 31, 2011. For the week of March 21-25, 2011 the Russian stock market experienced an upturn of prices.

The RTS Index (RTSI) went up to 2,041.49 points (4.00%) from 1,962.92 points as of March 18, 2011. At the end of the week the RTS Index was 5.62% higher than a month ago (1,932.82 points as of February 25, 2011) and 34.75% higher than a year ago (1,515.04 points as of March 25, 2010).

Growth on the stock market was accompanied by a decrease of volatility levels when the Russian Volatility Index RTSVX went down by 8.06%.

Over the week the US dollar lost 1.18% against the Russian ruble.

Out of 50 RTSI constituents 36 were pushing the Index upwards (plus 79.67 points overall), whereas 4 securities behaved negatively (down 1.11 points in total), price for 10 securities remained unchanged.

The positive effect leaders were ordinary shares of Sberbank (plus 20.82 points), "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" (plus 8.55 points) and Rosneft (plus 7.28 points).

The negative impact was mainly related to the falling prices for ordinary shares of JSC "Aeroflot" (down 0.91 points).

In the oil and gas sector 50.05% of the RTSI total capitalization was concentrated. The other large-weight sectors were banks & finance (20.44%) and metals & mining (14.53%).

On the sector level the major positive contributors were the finance (plus 27.23 points in total) and metallurgy sectors (plus 25.01 points in total).

RTSI Futures Contracts

The weekly trading volume in the RTSI derivatives amounted to691.18 billion rubles or 6.33 million contracts. Futures contracts on the RTS Index made up 69.10% of the total FORTS turnover (Futures and Options on RTS) in cash terms.

With the RTSI gaining 4.00%, June contracts went up by 5.45% by the settlement date and September contracts grew by 5.40%.

During the reviewed period RTSI linked futures were trading below the spot. By the end of the week June contracts were 48.79 points in backwardation, while for June contracts backwardation stood at 51.99 points.

For the week the total investor's open interest measured in contracts increased by 29.15%.

The RTS Standard Index

For the week of March 21-25, 2011 the ruble RTS Standard Index showed a positive trend.

The RTS Standard Index went up by 3.61% to 12,359.47 points (11,929.01 points as of March 18, 2011). At the end of the week the RTS Standard Index was3.35% higher than a month ago (11,958.67 points as of February 25, 2011) and 27.98% higher than a year ago (9,657.68 points as of March 25, 2010).

Out of 15 RTS Standard Index constituents 13 were pushing the Index upwards (plus 441.13 points overall), whereas two securities behaved negatively (down 10.67 points in total).

The positive effect leaders were ordinary shares of Sberbank (plus 144.54 points) and "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" (plus 57.09 points).

The negative impact was mainly related to the falling prices for ordinary shares of Gazprom (down 10.67 points).

Out of the blue chips the top risers were ordinary shares of "FGC UES ", JSC that gained 14.62%, and ordinary and preferred shares of Sberbank that went up by 6.90% and 6.65% respectively.

The oil & gas sector accounted for 54.31% of the RTS Standard Index' total capitalization. The other large-weight sectors were finance (24.71%) and metallurgy (12.71%).

Second-tier stocks

For the week of March 21-25, 2011 the second tier stocks market demonstrated a positive dynamic.

Over the reviewed period the RTS-2 Index added 2.44% to reach 2,340.88 points (2,285.11 points as of March 18, 2011). At the end of the week the RTS-2 Index was 2.12% higher than a month ago (2,292.39 points as of February 25, 2011), and 33.08% higher than a year ago (1,759.00 points as of March 25, 2010).

29 constituents out of 58 stocks on the basis of which the RTS-2 Index is calculated had a positive impact on the RTS-2 Index (plus 72.63 points overall), seven instruments pulled the Index downwards (down 16.86 points). The price for 22 securities remained unchanged.

Most of the positive effect was related to the growing prices for ordinary shares of OJSC "Magnit" (plus 19.62 points), JSC "IDGC Holding" (plus 7.93 points) and JSOC Bashneft (plus 5.67 points).

The negative impact was mainly due to the falling prices for ordinary shares of JSC "Aeroflot" (down 8.06 points).

In terms of weight in the RTS-2 Index, the power sector was the largest (35.0%), followed by the consumer goods & trading sector (18.5%) and metals & mining sector (15.8%).

Most of the RTS-2 Index growth was due to the positive contributions by the securities of the following sectors: power (plus 25.66 points in total) and consumer &retail (plus 19.86 points in total).

RTS Siberia Index

For the week of March 21-25, 2011 stocks constituting the RTS Siberia Index experienced a positive trend.

The RTS Siberia Index added 2.33% to close at 990.10 points (967.60 points as of March 18, 2011). At the end of the week the RTS Siberia Index was 0.87% higher than a month ago (998.83 points as of February 25, 2011) and 6.50% higher than a year ago (929.64 points as of March 25, 2010).

Out of the 11 component stocks six were moving the RTS Siberia Index up (plus 23.24 points), one security pushed the Index down (down 0.74 points). The price for three securities remained unchanged.

The positive effect leaders were ordinary shares of "OJSC "MMC "NORILSK NICKEL" (plus 7.41 points), JSC "RusHydro" (plus 6.43 points) and preferred shares of MDM Bank (plus 4.78 points).

The power sector accounted for 41.5% of the RTS Siberia Index' total capitalization. The other large-weight sectors were metallurgy (37.5%) and oil & gas (15.6%).

The RTS family of indices

Index

Last

Change over (Period), %

Value

Week

Month

Quarter

Year

RTS Index

2,041.49

4.00%

5.62%

15.37%

34.75%

RTS Standard Index

12,359.47

3.61%

3.35%

8.78%

27.98%

RTS-2 Index

2,340.88

2.44%

2.12%

4.11%

33.08%

RTS Metals & Mining Index

377.85

3.00%

4.67%

7.99%

38.01%

RTS Oil & Gas Index

241.03

2.72%

4.18%

21.98%

32.78%

RTS Consumer & Retail Index

437.80

2.36%

-0.32%

0.73%

49.03%

RTS Industrial Index

235.53

-0.51%

-1.30%

11.46%

50.95%

RTS Finances Index

495.23

4.37%

2.67%

7.56%

18.75%

RTS Electric Utilities Index

271.95

6.71%

0.41%

-1.55%

5.08%

RTS Siberia Index

990.10

2.33%

-0.87%

-1.02%

6.50%

Russian Volatility Index

24.54

-8.06%

2.26%

9.02%

-18.93%

For the week the RTS Index gained 4.00% to reach 2,041.49 points (1,962.92 points as of March 18, 2011), the RTS Standard Index (blue chips index) went up by 3.61% to end up at 12,359.47 points (11,929.01 points as of March 18, 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 8.06% to reach 24.54 points (26.69 points as of March 18, 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 power. The RTS Electric Utilities Index grew by 6.71%. The substantial upturn was also demonstrated by the finance and metallurgy sectors with the RTS Finances Index and RTS Metals & Mining Index increasing by 4.37% and 3.00% respectively. Decline was reported only by the industrial sector with the RTS Industrial Index shedding 0.51%.

The regional RTS Siberia Index went up by 2.33%.

The US dollar depreciated by 1.18% against the Russian ruble to reach 28.40 rubles per US dollar (28.74 rubles as of March 18, 2011).