MOSCOW: The Russian rouble and stock indexes opened higher on Wednesday, helped by a recovery in the oil price and global risk appetite.
At 0810 GMT, the rouble was 0.5 percent stronger against the dollar at 65.87 and had gained 0.3 percent to 73.45 versus the euro.
Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was up 1.6 percent at $49.4 a barrel, after a U.S. industry survey indicated a larger-than-expected fall in crude inventories.
"The positive dynamic of the rouble pair is being caused both by the rise in oil prices and also by demand for the rouble ahead of the peak of the May tax period," MFX Broker analyst Alexander Grichenkov said in a note.
Russian share indexes were up strongly, tracking gains in global markets where risk appetite is reviving. Asian shares jumped on Wednesday following strong U.S. housing data.
Russia's dollar-denominated RTS index was up 2.2 percent to 911 points, while the rouble-based MICEX was 1.1 percent higher at 1,905 points.
Shares in Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, were up 2.6 percent after the bank reported better-than-expected first quarter profit.
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