RTS Index at 939.61 Points as Oil Weakness Weighs on Russian Shares
Published on 11/05/2026 at 13:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSRTS Index trades lower at midday
- The RTS Index stood at 939.61 points at 12:26 UTC, or 13:26 Berlin time, down 0.25 percent from the previous session's 941.98-point close.
- Interfax attributed the early decline to a sharp fall in oil prices after the US congressional midterm elections, with oil and gas shares leading the opening losses.
- The Moscow Exchange session was still in progress, so the reading was an intraday level rather than a closing value.
The RTS Index was trading at 939.61 points at 12:26 UTC on Thursday, November 5, equivalent to 13:26 in Berlin, according to the latest market quote. That put the dollar-denominated benchmark 2.37 points, or 0.25 percent, below the 941.98-point close recorded for November 4 by ad hoc news.
Oil weakness pressures Russian shares
The move followed a weaker opening for Russian equities. Interfax reported that the RTS Index fell 0.9 percent to 933.35 points at 09:01 Moscow time, with oil and gas stocks among the main decliners. Rosneft, Tatneft, Gazprom, Surgutneftegaz, Novatek and Lukoil were listed among the stocks weighing on the index, while VK and several metals-related shares advanced.
Interfax linked the initial pressure to the sharp decline in crude prices following the US congressional midterm elections. Brent futures had fallen more than 8 percent the previous day, and the agency said further weakness in oil was damaging expectations for Russian energy companies' export revenues and future financial results. It also identified upcoming Russia-US-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11 as a market focus, while noting that investors continued to hope for progress in negotiations.
Intraday recovery from the open
The midday reading showed a recovery from the early low, although it remained below the previous session's close. Vedomosti reported that at 12:00 Moscow time the RTS Index was at 939.69 points, down 0.24 percent, before the later market quote cited above. The session was still open at the configured reporting time, so neither level represents the official close.
The Moscow Exchange defines the RTS Index as a capitalization-weighted composite of liquid Russian stocks and lists its calculation schedule as extending to 23:50 Moscow time on weekday trading days. The index is dollar-denominated, making both equity prices and movements in the ruble relevant to its intraday performance.
For further coverage of the RTS Index, visit the RTS Index topic page.
