Russian rouble eases from over 1-week high; traders focus on geopolitics, inflation

MOSCOW: The rouble eased from a more than one-week high on Wednesday after four consecutive sessions of gains, with geopolitics in focus as Russia holds security talks with the West, while investors awaited inflation data.

At 0757 GMT, the rouble was 0.2% weaker against the dollar at 74.59, earlier touching 74.31, its strongest level since Jan. 3.

It was steady against the euro, trading at 84.70, after hitting its strongest mark since Jan. 4 of 84.52 earlier.

Russia on Tuesday sounded a downbeat note over talks with the United States that Washington hopes will remove the possible threat of an invasion of Ukraine, saying it had found no cause for optimism.

Rouble firms past 75 vs dollar ahead of crunch US-Russia talks

The rouble may test the lower boundary of the 74-75 range against the greenback on Wednesday, said Promsvyazbank analysts, but warned of the US consumer inflation data release, which could boost the case for an early rate increase and lead to dollar strengthening.

Russia will also release its inflation data later in the day.

"On Kazakhstan, risk for Russia may be subsiding slightly for now as Russian troops are set to leave," BCS Global Markets said in a note.

The deadliest violence in the former Soviet republic's 30 years of independence from Moscow had led to a sharp drop in rouble last week.

The Russian finance ministry will hold two OFZ bond auctions later in the day, offering the rouble-denominated debt it uses to plug budget holes. Demand for OFZ bonds usually supports the rouble.

Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was steady at $83.75 a barrel.

Russian stock indexes were higher, with the dollar-denominated RTS index up 0.4% at 1,601.2. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was 0.1% higher at 3,790.8.