MOSCOW: The rouble hit a near two-month high on Wednesday as Russia's Finance Ministry held two treasury bond auctions that often bolster the national currency.
At 1621 GMT, the rouble was 0.2pc stronger against the dollar at 63.89, its highest since April 24, and had gained 0.04pc to 71.67 versus the euro.
The ministry held two weekly treasury bond auctions on Wednesday, selling 20 billion roubles ($312.91 million) in 2039 OFZ bonds and 2.85 billion roubles in 2028 OFZ bonds.
The auction was not held last week because of a public holiday. Demand for treasury bonds, which serve as a gauge of investor interest in Russian assets, has supported the rouble this year.
The rouble received further support on Wednesday afternoon from Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, which was up 0.35pc at $62.36 a barrel.
Russian stock indexes were down. The dollar-denominated RTS index fell 0.07pc to 1,358 points. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was down 0.21pc at 2,756 points.
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